Peridot Turtle
by KaliAnn
Summary: In a split second, life can change in an instant. What should be is now what could have been. Instead of a pair of magical earrings, a glowing bracelet. Instead of a Heroine a Guardian. Instead of a Ladybug a Turtle. An AU when Marinette gets the Turtle Miraculous instead of the Ladybug one. First of its kind and independent of my other Miraculous stories.
1. Student now Guardian

**I have permission from imthepunchlord to use the names for Marinette's other Miraculous forms.**

* * *

In life there are many different possibilities for a single individual. For some their path is clear and destiny ensured. Others, wander around letting themselves chose their own path, making their own destiny. Both kind of a people walk side by side without knowing who is who. However, unknown to the common human, sometimes the universe creates a hiccup that changes one's destiny. Sometimes these changes are very small and don't impact the world very much. Other times it can cause a very big change and it impacts the world in very large way.

* * *

It was a beautiful morning in Paris, the sky was clear, the sun was bright, and a gentle breeze blew through the air. People went around doing their morning routine not realizing that in a hidden room that someone was plotting to change the world forever more.

Nooroo, the Kwami of the Butterfly Miraculous, was telling his new wielder about what being a Butterfly meant and what powers he had. "As a Butterfly, you and your abilities are connected to Change and Emotion. Butterflies are delicate, yet move fast. While we don't directly engage our foes; it is our imagination and compassion that make us unique among the Miraculouses.

You must be persuasive yet kind. Helpful and determined, but not aggressive and forceful. If we must fight directly; we dance around our opponents not allowing ourselves to be caught. Our attack must be quick and precise while also showing we are not worth the fight. In nature, butterflies use warning colors and eye spots to scare predators away and you must do the same.

Your cane is useful for protection. The cane's primary purpose is to secure one of my friends, keeping them safe until they are needed or recalled. The animal traits you will develop will make you extremely graceful, your appearance might change a little and you'll learn to blend in with your surroundings. You might get territorial. Overall, being a Butterfly, is about learning more about your own soul.

The Butterfly Miraculous power is to create Champions to help fight for your cause. To create a Champion, you can use your newfound emphatic skills to locate a person feeling strong emotions when a crises arises. Send one of my flitter to this person and offer them a chance to help. If they accept they will be transformed into a Champion and help you.

You can give them advice or direct them to where their help is needed the most, with whatever the situation calls for. Once the crises is over recall the butterfly and the Champion will return to normal. Once returned, you will have five minutes before you return to normal. I can't transform you again until I've eaten something to restore my strength. I like yogurt to eat please. That is everything you need to know, (for now Nooroo thought), about being the wielder of the Butterfly Miraculous master."

His master, a gentlemen who hid in the shadows out of sight, let out a little laugh surprising Nooroo. "A Miraculous that works best in the shadows and creates Champions is impressive. Heroes are worshiped, but I need to install fear and panic if I'm to obtain the Miraculouses I truly desire. The Ladybug Earrings and the Black Cat Ring."

Nooroo's eyes widened in shock. "Master, what you speak of is dangerous. A human can be consumed by the power of wearing multiple Miraculouses and their powers can counter one another. Not to mention the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses are only used in the most serious of situations."

The man in the shadows laughed telling the little kwami that was exactly what he had planned. He would create crises that Paris had never seen before. A Ladybug and Black Cat would have to make an appearance and he would use his Akumas to take their Miraculouses by force. Soon the power of creation and destruction would be his to use as he pleased. His ultimate goal would be accomplished and no one could stop him.

"The Great Guardian will stop you! The Guardian will ensure that you will never obtain your goal and I will be safe with the Guardian once again!"

"SILENCE! I will not have you making threats. It's time for you to serve your purpose. Darkwings Rise!" Nooroo couldn't stop himself from being pulled into his Miraculous. Unwillingly he let his power flow transforming this evil man into a villain who dubbed himself Hawkmoth. Knowing his power would cause untold pain, he hoped the Guardian and Wayzz could sense the trouble he was in.

* * *

Indeed they had. Master Fu had sent his customer home as he opened the Miraculous box looking inside. A small frown appeared on his face as he gazed at spot where Nooroo's Miraculous should be. He fingered the missing slot for Dusuu's pin. (I know the website calls it a brooch, but it's confusing calling them both brooches. Since pin is a synonym I'm using that).

He gently took the earrings and ring off their pedestal knowing they were the best choices to deal with Nooroo's powers being misused. "I wish I was able to fight and retrieve Nooroo's Miraculous from the one misusing him."

"Master, you are a hundred eighty six years old. You are not young anymore. Besides, as the Great Guardian, you cannot risk yourself right now. Without Tikki and Plagg's help, we'll never get close enough to free Nooroo from his bond with his evil master," Wayzz reminded him gently. The little kwami settled himself in the crook of his wielder's neck and gave it an affectionate rub.

Master Fu scratched Wayzz's head making the kwami's antenna swish in joy. While they hadn't been active in years, that didn't mean they had just been sitting around doing nothing. Part of being the Great Guardian was observing people who fit with the different Miraculouses uses and personalities, and with their kwami's help, grow into a person they were always meant to be.

"Come Wayzz, let's test our candidates and see if they're ready for a Miraculous." As they left their home, neither noticed as one of the decorations was jostled and two strands of ribbon, one black and one white, fell on top of one another, an omen of what was to come.

* * *

 _She was running in a dark tunnel something nipping at her heels. Not daring to turn around, she continued to run as fast as her legs would take her. She couldn't believe she hadn't tripped over air yet. Whatever was chasing her was getting closer._

 _"Run little girl, run all you like. No matter where you run I'll be there," an eerie voice called out to her. The voice cackled at the girl. It was getting closer and closer to the girl. "You will never achieve your destiny no matter what you do. I will ensure that you die before that happens!" The voice shouted as it touched the shoulder of the girl._

 _"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! Leave me alone!" a burst of colors radiated from her body. The eerie voice screamed and disappeared. The colors continued to radiate from her body creating seven stain glass windows. As the colors faded, a light appeared overhead, and the girl could properly see the windows._

 _Each one was a different color arranged like a rainbow, except the last window, which was a velvety black. Each stain glass window showed her in a different costume that was themed after a different animal. At the base of the window in scrolled calligraphy was the title of describing the figure inside._

 _The red one was the most vibrant showing her dressed in a red body stalking with black spots all over it, she held a yoyo in her hand smiling. The description read_ _ **Ladybug**_ _._

 _The next one was orange. She was dressed as a fox, the tips of her pigtails turned white and the costume's sash merged to create a life like fox brush, (tail). She held a flute in her hands with a mischief smile on her face. The caption read_ _ **Huli-Jing.**_

 _The yellow window was a bit different than the previous one. For one thing she looked exactly like a bumble bee with yellow as the main color of the suit with black accents highlighting her perfect waist. Also her hair was in bun. A black string was connected to one of her fingers with a small top attached to it. This version was called,_ _ **Abeille Jaune.**_

 _The next window was muted and she couldn't see anything so she moved onto the blue one. This one showed her as a peacock. She had lovely light green scarf wrapped around her neck that reminded her of wings. The costume came with a real feather fan spread and beautiful hand fan. The name_ _ **Belle Bleue**_ _sounded beautiful to her._

 _The purple window was the most elegant one in her opinion. She was wearing a lavender caplet which reminded her of a butterfly wings. The mix of an elegant purple and black suit/costume made her look sophisticated and welcoming. She was leaning on a cane with a simple title underneath the image._ _ **Mariposa.**_

 _The black window lit up and it appeared as if stars were outlining a beautiful cat girl costume. The tunic hugged her body and split into a skirt with black tights underneath. Her gloved hands were gray cat paws and her tail had a little red ribbon attached to it which matched her little choker collar. She was holding a silver baton. The name below was_ _ **Chat Noire**_ _._

 _Turning around she saw the green window had lit up and was sparkling a lot. She walked back over to get a closer look. The sparkles interfered with her vision so all she could make out was a vague form of her with a turtle shell holding something silver and brown in her hands. The caption was glowing too brightly to see the whole word, but she could make out a_ _ **P**_ _and a_ _ **T.**_

 _She reached out to touch the window to get a closer look when she heard a familiar voice calling out to her. "Marinette, time to get up. You'll be late for school!" The dream world faded away as the girl woke up._

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng shot up in bed and bumped her head against the ceiling. "Ouch! What was that dream all about? Animal costumes, weapons, strange names? Oh I'll write it down later, I got to get up and go!" She hurried down her stairs as she raced around the room gathering everything she would need for the first day of school.

"Where's my backpack? There is it is, okay got my tablet, my pens and pencils, Oh where are my math things!" Marinette asked as she tripped over said items. Rubbing her sore toe she continued to dash about double checking that she had everything. Downstairs, her parents listened to their daughter scrambling around. Both of them shook their heads, Marinette was a wonderful daughter, but it would help if she learned to slow down and be patient so she didn't end up like this in the morning.

Marinette came rushing down the stairs as she fixed her pigtails. "I have to get going. Oh why am I always so late when I live right across the street from school?"

"Dear please sit down. You have enough time to eat breakfast before you leave. You'll get through the morning much better if you eat something," Sabine reminded her daughter. Reluctantly, her child sat at the table as she tried her hardest not to make a mess. Sometimes her clumsiness seemed like a curse.

Outside the bakery nearing the crosswalk near the school, Master Fu was getting ready to test the candidate he had in mind for the Ladybug Miraculous. True Ladybugs were very rare to find and they had to be able to work with their Chat Noir, their fated partner. They needed to create a balance to restore order and that usually required soulmates to work together.

He hoped that the girl would be ready for the challenges ahead because she was the only candidate for the earrings currently in this city. He had observed a few young ladies that could become Ladybugs with the right mentoring, but with Nooroo in danger, it was best to go with the perfect match.

"Master, are you sure there is no one else for this duty?" Wayzz whispered from the shirt pocket. He didn't want his old friend to make a mistake like he did last time a Miraculous was needed.

"I'm certain my little friend. I'm sure Ms. Marinette and the young Agreste boy will be a good team. All they need is to pass a simple test. Are you having doubts about the two?"

Wayzz shook his head. After all he had approved of the two teens as possible matches while they had been observing possible candidates. Still, something seemed off, and he couldn't shake the feeling that something bad, was about to happen.

Just then the girl came out of the bakery carrying a box of sweets. She was anxiously waiting for her turn to cross. Without a second thought, Master Fu began walking across the crosswalk like a slow old man. They could hear the car coming and looked to see Marinette with a worried expression on her face.

Marinette saw the old man was in trouble. He was walking too slowly and the car was heading straight for him. She darted into the crosswalk intent on saving the man. Destiny was taking place as she reached for his shoulder.

Time slowed down until it was almost a standstill. Master Fu was in reach of Marinette and her hand was almost on his shoulder. The old man had moved slightly closer and the car was still a bit away. Everything was perfect only to be changed at the last second, a hiccup in the universe.

The driver of the car was reaching for his phone unknowingly increasing his speed. Master Fu was hit full on by the car as Marinette was thrown clear back to the sidewalk, her hands and arms sustaining abrasions as she fell against the cobblestone road. Her box of sweets scattered across the ground.

Fu went up and over the car hitting the road hard, his body battered. Wayzz and the small boxes for the earrings and ring tumbled across the street before bouncing up the curb and into the bakery foundation creating a small crack, just big enough for the kwami and the boxes to fit in.

Time returned to normal as everyone finally looked up from their phones at the disaster in front of them. Many of the people started taking pictures. Having witnessed the accident from the bakery, Tom called for help as Sabine went to check on Marinette and the old man. Unknown to anyone destiny had been changed.

* * *

"MARINETTE! MARINETTE! Stay down and let me get a look at you. Oh dear, you have some serious abrasions. They need to get looked at right away," Sabine told her daughter. "Do you hurt anywhere else?"

Marinette was a bit dazed by the fall, but hadn't forgotten about the old man she tried to help. "Mom, I'll be fine. Please check on the old man. I think he got hurt really bad." Sabine nodded as she ran over to the man, to check him over. In the distant she heard sirens getting closer.

The poor old man was in terrible condition. His shirt and pants were torn up exposing his side and chest. A deep impression from the car's grill was plainly visible and likely several cracked ribs. One leg appeared to be broken and his left hand just lay there not moving at all. There was blood all over his face and his back was not looking great as he let out a deep moan of pain before struggling for air. He had to have some kind of internal injuries.

Sabine knelt next to him. "Lie still, the ambulance will be here soon. You're going to be alright. What's your name sir?"

"Fu… My name is Fu. Where is my…gasp….gasp tu…gasp!"

"Try not to talk right now Mr. Fu. Whatever you're looking for will be found. Try to conserve your strength." At that moment the ambulance arrived as the medical professionals got out and began to assess the situation. "Over here please! I don't think this man can wait for hospital treatment!"

Typically, the SMUR service would spend a great deal of time at a scene, as a doctor and nurse treated the critical patient, while the technician dealt with the less critical patient. At the moment the technician was working on cleaning Marinette's road rash as Tom stood nearby listening to instructions on how to care for his daughter after he was done.

Hidden from sight, Wayzz could only watch as his friend lay on the stretcher. The doctor and nurse worked on him for a short time, taking care of his bloody face and checking his hand before putting him in the ambulance. He saw the girl standing up as the technician finished wrapping the bandages around her arms. She peered past the technician staring as the doors to the the ambulance closed. Both Marinette and Wayzz memorized the name of the hospital the ambulance belonged to as it drove away.

While Marinette reluctantly headed for school with a note, Wayzz knew he had to get to his wielder, but he couldn't just leave the Miraculouses in this crack. What if they were discovered? No, he had to get them back to the Master Fu's and then head to the hospital. Phasing into the bakery, her grabbed a bag to hold the boxes, before he slipped out and carefully made his way back to the healer's house.

* * *

Ms. Bustier was about twenty minutes into her lesson when the door opened. She turned to warn Marinette not to be late for school, but stopped when she saw the girl's bandages. Like the other's in the room she had heard the ambulance outside and wondered what was going on. She took the note from the bluenette and read it carefully. When she was done, she told Marinette to sit down in her seat and to visit the nurse later if she was still in pain.

With a deep breath, Marinette headed to her seat, only to stop when she saw Chloe in her seat. The blond brat gave her a sneer and the look in her eyes showed she would make trouble if she tried to get her seat back. Looking around she saw the only open seat was next to a new girl sitting in the front. Having no choice; she took that seat.

"Hi my name's Alya. What's yours?" the new girl whispered.

"Marinette, nice to meet you."

"Thanks, so what are the bandages for? What was going on out there?"

"A hit and run. I was trying to help the victim. I'll tell you more about it later." Marinette looked at the board trying to pay attention to what was going on with the lesson, but it was hard for her to concentrate. Her mind kept going to the old man. Guilt for not being able to save him in time gnawed at her. She needed to find out for herself if he was okay.

The day seemed to drag on. Marinette kept glancing at the clock praying for lunch time to get here. Finally the bell rang and everyone left the classroom heading to get some food. Alya stood up next to her and asked, if they could eat lunch together.

"Sure, I can spare a half hour, but I want to check in with my parents after that. They run the bakery just across the street."

"That's so cool! Free treats whenever you want. My mom's a chef so we eat great dinners, but she really can't make dessert," Alya admitted as Marinette laughed.

It turned out that Alya and Marinette had a lot in common. They liked the same music, both their parents had busy jobs, and enjoyed several of the same foods. There were differences of course. Alya had three siblings and Marinette was an only child. Alya wanted to be an investigative reporter and of course Marinette wanted to be a famous fashion designer. Alya was obsessed with superhero comics while Marinette preferred gardening.

The bluenette was having a good time making a best friend that she didn't realize the time was flying by. When she glanced at the clock again forty five minutes had gone by. "It was nice talking to you Alya, but I got to go see my parents now."

"Okay, see you in class later!" The minute she was out of school Marinette went in the opposite direction of her house. With determination she didn't know she possessed, the teen headed to the hospital labeled on the ambulance. She needed to know the fate of this Mr. Fu. Hopefully she would get back to school on time, if not, she hoped that no one noticed she skipped, and just assumed she went home due to her injuries.

* * *

Wayzz was feeling very tired and was craving some carrot sticks, the food that fueled his powers. Hours had passed since the accident. It had not been easy to get the Miraculouses back home without being spotted. He thanked his lucky stars that humans didn't have a tendency to look up or they were too glued to their phones these days. Once he knew the Miraculouses were safe he flew as fast as he could to his wielder.

The little kwami felt his little heart pounding. He never dreamed something like this could happen. "Master Fu, please be okay. Nooroo needs you right now. The other Kwamiis need you. _I_ need you." Wayzz wiped his tears away as he arrived at the hospital.

He hid in a planter watching the doors open and close. He had to time this just right. The doors to the emergency room opened as two people walked through. He zipped by their heads and hid among the florescent lights. His big eyes widened as his head bobbed around trying to find his friend. "Where are you Master Fu? I can hardly feel your life force."

Taking a big risk Wayzz risked being seen as dove for a nurse's station with an open computer terminal. Crawling under the chair, he waited holding his breath. He was trying to keep calm as the roller chair rolled back causing him to move out of the way nearly exposing himself when found himself halfway between the chair and the desk. Scrambling on his flippers he pulled himself under the desk.

"I forgot how vulnerable a kwami is without a wielder carrying them." Finally the nurse left the station and he flew up to check the computer. He tapped away with his nubby little hand/flipper. He didn't know much about computers, but luckily the monitor was displaying a patient list. He scrolled down until he found the time when Fu had been brought in. There was another entry telling him how long he'd been in the operating room, and a last entry showing where his master was resting in ICU. "That's where I need to be!"

While Wayzz made his way to his master, Marinette stumbled into the hospital doors before entering the emergency department. She quickly jumped back as two doctors rushed a patient out of the area. Spinning around, she nearly toppled onto an orderly restocking the supplies, before stumbling backwards into the nurses' station. The back of her head connected with the desk creating an intense pain.

"Are you alright miss?" the nurse at the station asked. Marinette nodded her head wincing. "I'm okay, just a bit clumsy." The nurse nodded and asked how she could help her as she eyed the bandages.

"Um, I don't need medical attention right now. You see earlier today there was an accident by my home. It's the bakery next to College Francoise Dupont. Oh, well you see I got my abrasions from that, but I was more concerned about the old man that was hit. His name is Fu I believe? I was wondering if you could tell me how he was or if he's up for visitors."

"Young lady, we're a hospital. I can't give out a patients records to a complete stranger just because you were involved in the same accident. Nor can I allow you to visit someone without proper authorization. I suggest you leave and go back to school." The nurse's face which had been so kind and helpful just seconds before now was harsh and cold. It was as if someone flipped a switch.

Letting out a tiny whimper, Marinette turned around heading for the doors. It was stupid to think they let a complete stranger know how one old man was doing. Why had she come here in the first place? The accident wasn't her fault, yet she still felt guilty. Why?

"Miss? Miss? Could you stop for a minute please?" Marinette stopped and turned around to see a nurse coming towards her. The lady had to be in her sixties. She had short white hair and brown eyes. Around her neck was a lanyard holding an ID card with the word ICU on it. She gave the young teen a kind smile as she asked if she had been inquiring about a Mr. Fu.

"Yes, um I tried to save him, but the car hit him before I could pull him to safety. I feel guilty I wasn't able to save him." She looked down at the floor mumbling she just wanted to see how he was doing.

"That's very considerate of you. Most people wouldn't follow up on a stranger who was in the same accident as them. You shouldn't blame yourself for what happened, the one at fault is the driver. Hopefully the police will catch him soon." She beckoned for Marinette to follow her, introducing herself as Florence, as she took the girl to the ICU.

As they walked to the ICU Florence started to inform the young teen about Master Fu's condition. "I'm breaking hospital protocol, but you don't get to be a nurse for thirty-five years without learning when to bend them. Mr. Fu has no family and all his friends are gone. Someone should be with him, especially right now."

Seeing the girl's confused expression the old woman sighed and gave the girl a sad smile. "Mr. Fu's injuries were extensive. His leg was shattered in four places, and the nerves in his left hand were damaged. His chest and back took serious hits breaking three ribs and nearly damaging the spinal column." Florence paused as she looked at Marinette. The teen's eyes had widen in disbelief. Still she didn't run, only clutching her purse tightly. So she continued her report.

"Thankfully, his skull wasn't cracked, but we believe the brain bounced a bit. He underwent surgery to stop the internal bleeding and the surgeons ended up having to take out his spleen, one of his kidney's and part of the liver. He's in recovery, however when you consider his age and the extent of the damage, there isn't much hope for a recovery."

"He's going to die isn't he?" Marinette whispered in a toneless voice. Florence nodded sadly at her. Now the bluenette understood why Florence was bringing her to Mr. Fu. Many times hospital protocol refused to let people close to the dying be with them. Same sex couples, age difference, and children. Really the list went on and on. Nobody deserved to die alone without someone to give them peace as they passed on.

They reached the ICU and did a thorough cleaning before heading to the room. No one stopped and questioned them, seeing as Florence was the senior nurse in the department. As they approached the room, both of them could make out soft rumblings, as if the patient was talking to someone.

* * *

Fu, who had been talking with Wayzz about the future, shushed the little kwami as the nurse and to his delight, young Ms. Dupain-Cheng, arrived in the room. "Ah, the pretty…cough…young…lady who tried to help…me. I am...cough…pleased to see you…cough." Fu coughed a bit more before settling back down.

Florence brought a chair over for Marinette to sit on. "I'll be back in a little while to check on you. In the meantime, why don't you two talk?" Once they were settled in, Florence left to do her rounds in the ICU.

Both of them stayed silent unsure what to say. Wayzz was hidden out of sight ready to listen to the conversation. Whatever happened next would decide the fate of the Miraculouses and their Kwamiis. Maybe the entire world. He shook nervously in his shell.

Marinette bit her lip unsure what to say to a stranger who was dying. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to get to you before the car hit you! Maybe then you wouldn't dying." she blurted out. She smacked herself muttering how stupid she was for saying that.

Master Fu assured her it was alright. He appreciated her honesty and didn't blame her for what happened. "I thought I could make it across in time. I was mistaken. Cough…cough…cough. Neither of us…cough…are to blame. I'm not scared…to…die. I have lived…a long life." He started to cough again so Marinette got him some water to sip. The coughs died down. He was a little uncomfortable so Marinette fluffed up his pillow asking if he needed anything else.

"Your presences is enough Ms.?"

"Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You're Mr. Fu?"

"I prefer master. I'm a healer of sorts, a master of my craft so to speak." Marinette eyebrows raised as she thought of the ironic situation they were in. A healer that couldn't be healed. "My methods are different, more holistic than modern, but they work. Would you like to hear about them?"

The two of them started talking engagingly. He told her a few stories about his life and his work. She shared with him how it was being the daughter of a baker and her dream to be fashion designer. Florence would come in to check on them pleased by what she saw.

Master Fu could sense death getting near, he couldn't put it off any longer. He had to ensure the safety of the Miraculouses and that there was someone to continue being the Great Guardian. "Ms. Dupain-Cheng, I apologize for doing this, but I have a last request I need to ask of you."

"A request? Well what is it?" Marinette asked warily.

"I am the last in my family. Since I was young I had a responsibility of sorts. I am the Guardian of special items, relics you could say, that have been passed from one generation to the next. These items are very valuable and important for the sake of the world, treasures that others would use for nefarious purposes."

Marinette looked at him skeptically. From the way he was talking whatever these relics were they seemed to have a special purpose, but for the world? That was hard to believe that someone would want to use an old relic for evil. Then again her mother had said that many Chinese people still held strong to traditional beliefs and superstitions. He probably was one of them.

"You want me to become the guardian of these items?" Fu nodded Marinette started to squirm uncomfortably. "I don't know. I'm a stranger and if these relics are very valuable wouldn't they be safer stored in a bank or something?"

Fu touched her hand comforting her. He could see her hesitation, yet see that she needed only a gentle push to accept. "I know this is an odd request, but I don't have anyone else to carry on my legacy. I am also worried about my pet turtle, Wayzz."

"You have a pet turtle?"

"Yes, he's the last of his kind. A Chibi Head Peridot Turtle. He'll need someone to look after him once I'm gone. I need to know that he and the relics will be in good hands of someone who will love and protect them. A young lady who is brave enough to try to prevent an accident and comfort a dying man, certainly qualifies to me."

Marinette looked at the pleading big eyes of the man knowing that was her weakness. I would feel so guilty if Mr. Fu died without knowing someone was caring for his turtle. Surely it wouldn't be that hard to take care of a turtle and a bunch of relics. "I promise I'll take care of your turtle and your relics. Do you have something you need me to sign? I can get Florence for you."

Fu smiled at her thankful that she accepted. "Please get her and ask her to bring me the forms. She'll know what I mean." Marinette nodded as she went to get Florence. Turning over in bed he came eye to eye with Wayzz. "It's done my friend."

"Please don't do this Master. You could still live and find an apprentice. Marinette hasn't been trained at all and she's supposed to be a Ladybug, not a Turtle. She doesn't have the traits to be one."

"That is why you have to teach her my old friend. Wayzz, there is no other way and you know it. The Miraculouses must have a Great Guardian at all times. She is our only choice. For Nooroo and the sake of the world, you will have to push past your grief and bond with the girl."

The little kwami nodded, wiping a tear away from his eyes. He knew Fu was right. His heart was breaking knowing this was the last time he would see his wielder. He always hated goodbyes. "I shall miss you greatly Fu. You have been a good friend and a great wielder all these years. No other Guardian has lived such a rich life. I hope your soul finds peace."

"Thank you my friend. I hope you find happiness with Marinette. Please tell the others I loved them and thought of them before I passed?" Wayzz promised before eyeing the bracelet. With a tiny hug Wayzz entered the Miraculous before becoming dormant as Fu willed that he didn't want to use its powers again. The bracelet dimmed just as Marinette and Florence returned.

"I believe we have some paperwork…cough…to…fill out. Let's get started….cough…shall we?" The paperwork didn't take too long and Florence promised to get the papers to Fu's lawyer.

Marinette glanced at the clock noting she had missed the rest of the school day and that her parents would want her home soon. She didn't want to disappoint them, but she couldn't just leave. So she stayed holding his hand letting him know he wasn't alone. At 7:05 pm the Great Guardian took his last breath and his soul passed on to the next life.

* * *

In his hidden loft, Hawkmoth had been searching all day. for someone who was experiencing high negative emotions. He had found one and was about to make an akuma, when there was a flash of purple light and he was back to his civilian self. "What is the meaning of this? I didn't say wings rest! Nooroo, I want an explanation right now!"

However no little kwami appeared and the flitter of butterflies had vanished. Angrily he grabbed the brooch and was shocked to see it was dull in color, the wings were light grey instead of shimmering white and the jewel was no longer purple, but clear. For some reason the Miraculous had gone dormant and he didn't know why.

Unbeknownst to most Miraculous wielders, when a Great Guardian passed away, the Miraculous all went dormant no matter where they were. If they were already dormant they would still flash as the kwami inside was alerted that their protector was no more. It was a failsafe to keep the Miraculous from being misused or stolen when there was no Guardian.

The Miraculous and the Kwamiis always needed a Great Guardian. Someone had to protect Miraculouses when they weren't in use or they needed to be given to new wielders. There had to be someone to heal the little gods and be willing to risk their lives to retrieve them if they were in danger. A Great Guardian played many roles with the Miraculouses. Until a new one was appointed and bonded with Wayzz, the ancient relics wouldn't work nor would a kwami be awakened.

While Hawkmoth continued to be frustrated and angry, a sad Marinette walked got out of the taxi that Florence had called for her and entered the bakery knowing her parents would want an explanation. They were both waiting for her behind the counter.

"Marinette thank goodness you're safe! We were so worried about you!" Sabine told her daughter hugging her tightly. "When the school called and said you were absent for the second part of the day, we nearly panicked. We covered for you since this was the first day of school."

"Don't think we'll do it again young lady. We're not happy you skipped school and didn't answer your phone. Now tell us young lady where have you been?" Tom demanded his big arms crossed as he gazed down at her in mild anger.

"I went to the hospital to see if Mr. Fu, the old man from this morning, was okay. I just couldn't get him out of my mind and I felt a bit guilty for not moving faster," she explained sadly. Her parents' eyes softened so she took that as a sign to continue. "At first no one would tell me anything, but a kind nurse from the ICU took me up to see him. She told me how he was slowly dying and that Mr. Fu had no one there for him. He didn't have any family or friends. So I decided to stay with him. No one deserves to die alone. We talked for a while and then he asked me for a final request."

"What kind of request?" her father asked in a perplexed tone. He and his wife were not angry anymore. Both of them knew what kind of person their daughter was and what she had done was a kind thing to do. She was right that no one should die alone. Still, he wondered what kind of request the stranger had asked of her.

Marinette explained that he asked if she would take care of some family heirlooms and look after his pet turtle. Sabine understood how important it was to Chinese values that someone carry on the family legacy, though it was rare to consider a female for such an inheritance, in the more traditionalist families. It was high honor for Marinette to chosen for what was likely a valuable inheritance from an elder.

"That sounds like a reasonable request. Did you sign the necessary papers? When will you be collecting the items and the animal?"

"It should be a in a few days. His lawyer will come over and explain everything to me. This is just been a real sad and unusual day." Her parents nodded and the family hugged each other. It had been an extremely long day.

* * *

Four days later Marinette came home from school not noticing a car parked next to the bakery. She was planning on doing her homework after changing her bandages, but stopped when she noticed that the bakery was closed early. Puzzled, she walked upstairs and found her parents sitting at the table with a young woman in a business suit. Judging by the briefcase and stacks of papers she was reviewing, she must be the lawyer they had been waiting for.

"Ah, Ms. Dupain-Cheng, it's nice to see you have arrived. I am Ms. Benson, Mr. Fu's lawyer. I'm here to discuss your inheritance and the legal issues that come with it."

Marinette nodded as she sat down. Looking around, she wondered why there was no cage or bowl with a turtle in it. She'd ask about that after she went over the legal issues.

"Ahem, my client had no living relatives and no friends to leave his property to. However his will was quite clear in who he wanted to give his estate to and he took legal measures to make the transition as smooth as possible. To begin with; Mr. Fu left you his bank accounts, his place of residence/work in the building he owned, and all his worldly contents."

The Dupain-Chengs were shocked by this news. They were even more shocked when they learned the value of the estate and that Mr. Fu had taken steps to pay off all taxes related to the property and inheritance laws, leaving Marinette free of debt and the deed in her name. She could do whatever she wanted with the property as long as her parents gave their approval and helped her with any legal issues.

Marinette sat there stunned as Ms. Benson continued reading the will. Mr. Fu had been cremated and his ashes now belonged to her. She was instructed to keep them near Wayzz, who she would be meeting a bit later. The hospital bill had already been covered. There were a few more tiny things, but the end result was basically that she legally owned and almost everything in the inheritance had been paid for.

"Here are the keys to the property. You should go over there soon and see what you want to bring here or leave there. Now pertaining to his pet Wayzz," Ms. Benson reached into her briefcase and pulled out a small box with strange lines on it. "I didn't find the turtle when I was at the deceased property earlier. Apparently this box contains instructions on how to care for him and where to find him."

Marinette took the box looking at the design. It was very beautiful. She was eager to open it to learn more about the Chibi Head Peridot turtle. Some instinct told her to wait until she was alone. After signing some papers and receiving the urn of ashes, Ms. Benson left.

Her parents decided to look over the paperwork about the accounts and property for their daughter. They would go see the building on the weekend. In the meantime Marinette hurried upstairs to her room to open the box. Sitting down at her desk, she opened it.

She let out a yelp of surprise when there was a yellow green flash coming from the object inside. The flash died down and floating in the air was a small turtle like being. The creature opened his eyes staring at her. "Hello Marinette. My name is Wayzz."

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! A TALKING TURTLE AHHHHHHHH!" Marinette screamed as she pushed her chair away from the desk so fast she fell out. Seeing the creature approaching her, she turned to run towards her door only to collide with her vanity. "Don't touch me ahh!"

"Please stop screaming. You're parents are going to come up here and then we won't be able to talk. You promised Master Fu you would look after me. There's so much I have to teach you."

Taking a few deep breaths, Marinette crawled back to the desk as Wayzz landed next to the box. She now saw a bracelet inside and realized it was the same one Fu had been wearing. Looking at the kwami properly she noted that he did look exactly like she pictured in her mind, minus the floating and talking part.

"Who, what, where, when, and why please?"

The little kwami nodded. "My name is Wayzz and I'm the Kwami of the Turtle Miraculous," he said pointing to the bracelet. "I was slumbering inside my Miraculous until you opened the box awakening me. You were chosen by Master Fu to take on the responsibilities of the Great Guardian."

"Great Guardian? What does that mean?"

"There is much I need to explain to you. Many lives are at stake and the safety of Paris is in danger. I need your help to protect this city and save my friend Nooroo the Butterfly and his Miraculous from being abused. In order to do so, you and I need to bond, so I can teach you how to be the Great Guardian, and find people who can help rescue him before it is too late."

This is way too much Marinette thought. Talking animals, magic jewelry, and the world was in danger? That old man thought she'd be up to the task of handling all this? No way, this was way too much to handle at once. She had agreed to take care of a pet and some relics, not get involved with all this.

She was ready to open her mouth and tell him no thanks, but stopped when she remembered Master Fu's face before he died. He'd been so grateful for her and he trusted a complete stranger with what was obviously a big secret. He loved Wayzz so much that he did what he could to ensure his old friend wasn't alone after he died.

Maybe this has something to do with that dream I had a couple nights ago. I've been wondering what it meant. Maybe Wayzz could give me an answer. If I was willing to risk my life to try and save Master Fu, then I can be brave enough to take on his job. "What do you need me to do in order to bond with you?"

Wayzz smiled happy that Marinette wasn't pushing him away. "You need to put on the Miraculous and take an oath. Once that's done, we'll be bonded to one another for as long as you live or until you pass the job of being the Great Guardian to someone else."

The teen nodded as she slipped on the bracelet feeling it lying against her wrist. It hummed with power. Wayzz had her take the pose of the Miraculous transformation before reciting the oath. It was in ancient tongue and it was hard to pronounce the words correctly.

When she finished speaking them the bracelet, Wayzz, and she, glowed green. They were now bonded to one another. Now instead of being a normal student the bluenette had taken her first steps to become the Great Guardian.


	2. Ladybug now Turtle

_Once again Marinette found herself surrounded by the stain glass windows only now they were set in octagon wall that formed a room around her. Several small lights dangled from the ceiling illuminating the room. Behind her there was entrance that led back into the place she had been chased through._

 _"Do you really think your safe inside there? I can come inside anytime I want to get you. In fact, I think I'll come in right now!" the dark evil voice called out. An indistinguishable shape was rushing towards the opening. Marinette screamed in fear._

 _"Lucky Charm!" From the red stain glass window a yo-yo burst out. In a loveliness of ladybugs, the yo-yo transformed into a solid steel door that blocked the entrance. The door was hammered on and a dent formed. Finally, the noise stopped as the creature left._

 _Marinette turned back to the window and blinked several times. The Ladybug version of herself was no longer in the window, but standing in front of it. "You're safe for now._ _ **He**_ _can't get past my Lucky Charm. You should still be careful coming here._ _ **He**_ _doesn't give up easily."_

 _"Who is_ _ **He**_ _? What is this place and why do you look like me?"_

 _Ladybug just smiled and giggled. "I look like you because I am you. At least I'm you most of the time. As for_ _ **him**_ _, you're not ready to know the truth. There is so much you need to learn before that." Ladybug's face got serious as she walked over and touched Marinette's shoulder. "All you need to know about this place for now, is this place is a safe zone from_ _ **him,**_ _as long as you ask for our help."_

 _Patting her on the shoulder Ladybug turned away heading for her window when Marinette grabbed her. "I don't understand. Please tell me more. Help me figure this out!"_

 _"You need to find the answers for yourself Marinette. I can only give you a hint. Remember, you can create anything, even your own luck if you try hard enough." With that she stepped back into her window and once again became part of the stain glass. A loveliness of ladybugs surrounded Marinette and took her away._

* * *

Marinette opened her eyes and sat up in bed careful of the ceiling this time. She had dreamed about that place again. Who did that voice belong to? Ladybug had said she her most of the time which confused her. Marinette never even wore a ladybug costume for Halloween when she was younger.

"You can create your own luck if you try hard enough. What does that even mean?" She looked down at her wrist staring at the bracelet she wore. Was she getting these dreams because of this? No, she had the first one before she got the Turtle Miraculous and officially met Wayzz. Speaking of the kwami she looked down at her desk. Wayzz was sleeping on some felt she kept around for crafting projects when she babysat Manon. Wayzz was in a unique situation because her parents knew about him, so to speak.

On Wayzz advice, Marinette had shown him to her parents and acted like a regular turtle with a "lure" on his head to either attract prey or as a defense against predators, which they accepted without question. As long as he didn't float in the air or talk, and she got a few pet supplies, she could freely carry him around the house. Marinette was already planning on making a little pet pocket for him to ride in her purse.

Crawling out of bed she walked down the steps. "Time to wake up Wayzz. We're going to your old home today remember?" Marinette whispered to him. Wayzz yawned as blinked his eyes.

When Wayzz saw her, he panicked. He started to scramble away and hide behind her pencil jar before he remembered yesterday's events. "Sorry, Marinette. I…"

"It's okay Wayzz, you had a big day yesterday." The kwami nodded and moved towards her. His new wielder hesitantly touched his shell. He squirmed under her touch and she stopped thinking she did something wrong. "I guess it's going to take some time to get to know each other."

Wayzz hung his head watching as Marinette got dressed and headed downstairs to eat breakfast with her family. He floated over to a picture of her and parents looking happy. He touched the glass wishing it was the ink picture of him and Master Fu from when they first met.

"Oh Master, I know you told me to not let my grief consume me, but I can't just ignore it. I've never trained a person to be the Great Guardian that has not gone through an apprenticeship. Can I really do this?"

Downstairs, Marinette wasn't really eating her breakfast. She kept looking up towards her room. She would have to remember to get some baby carrots to feed Wayzz. After she took the oath last night, Marinette thought they would click right together, but this morning proved that wasn't happening.

"I'm sure Wayzz is fine Marinette," Sabine told her daughter who looked at her mom with wide eyes. "I know how your mind works dear. When you came down with him last night I haven't seen you grin so much since you were a little girl."

"That's because she finally got a pet like she wanted all these years. She's probably wondering why we didn't get her a turtle years ago," Tom joked.

"PAPA!"

"Ignore him Marinette, I'm guessing Wayzz wasn't happy to see you this morning. I'm not an expert on turtles, but I do think animals grieve in their own way when they lose someone. Mr. Fu had Wayzz since he was a baby according to the paperwork. I'm sure with some time Wayzz will become more comfortable with you."

"Maybe your right Mama. So are we going to the massage/healer spa today to check the place over? I'm still trying to get use to the fact I own a piece of property nearly free and clear."

Her parents told her they would close the bakery early today so they could take her to the property. While she was going through her inheritance, they would be going over to the building inspector's office to set up a visit to check the building was up to code. Once they got the certificate, Marinette could decide what she wanted to do with the property. Her parents would help her every step of the way.

* * *

The drive to the massage/healer spa didn't take long. Marinette fiddled with the Miraculous on her wrist. She could see it starting to glow softly as they got closer to the place. Finally they arrived and Marinette had her first look at her new building.

It was a quaint three story building that appeared to be made at the turn of the century. Above the entryway was a handmade sign that had Chinese characters for good health on the edges as the name of the establishment was written in cursive. From the outside the place looked very well taken care of.

"It's a beautiful building. Mr. Fu had great taste," Sabine said as she slipped the keys to the building into Marinette's hands. "Your father and I have to get going if we want to make our meeting on time. We'll be back in two and half hours okay?"

"Sure thing Mama. I'll be waiting for you!" Kissing her parents goodbye, she took a deep breath and tripped on the first step. "Oww. Clumsy Marinette strikes again." Picking herself, she inserted the keys and went inside.

A few minutes later she was standing in the healing area looking around. Master Fu had several Chinese elements and decorations in the work place. Most of them could be seen through scrolls hanging on walls. There was a bamboo screen divider along with a huge Mat in the center of the room. Near the window was a lovely chest with gong on top. Seeing the sliding doors, the health products had to be stored in there.

Opposite of the door was another small table with a few items sitting on it. The large old gramophone dwarfed the other items. Peering closely at it, Marinette thought she saw a shimmering outline around it. At the same time the Turtle Miraculous was glowing brightly. "Wayzz, what's going on?"

Wayzz peeked out from the purse. He was back home, where he belonged. No, that wasn't true anymore. Marinette and he had come here for a reason. Pushing his grief down, he floated up and sat on his wielder's shoulder. "The Turtle Miraculous glows in tune with the Miraculous Chest when a new Guardian is appointed. The Miraculous Chest must be hidden and secure at all times. Each Guardian makes their own disguised for the chest before hiding it. The Great Guardian is forbidden to share its location with anyone."

So the Miraculous is showing me where the last hiding place was. But how do you hide a chest in a gramophone? Unless, the gramophone is just a disguise and doesn't really work. Walking over to the desk, she picked up the music player wondering how to open it.

"Allow me, I know how to open it." Pressing the eyes of on a pair of engraved dragons, they glowed red as a secret hatch opened up. There was a series of buttons lined up and Wayzz punched them in a special order. Marinette nearly dropped the gramophone as it did a 170 degree turn and the turntable for the record lifted up revealing a reddish black gold octagon chest with gold buttons and lines on the lid.

Instructing Marinette to put the chest back on the table, he applied pressure to one side of the chest and the lid sprang open. There resting in colorful slots and small pedestal were the Miraculouses.

"They're beautiful," Marinette whispered as she raised her hand tenderly reached to touch them. Her Miraculouses started to glow brighter as she pulled her hand back. "Wayzz, what's going on?"

Wayzz was silent for a few minutes as gazed down at his friends. How would they react when they learned the entire truth about the situation? Would the turn their backs on Marinette or accept her due to the unusual circumstances. Lost in thought it took a gentle tap on his shoulder to bring him out of his musing. "Sorry Marinette. You said something?"

"Why is my Miraculous glowing so much? I swear I saw the jewelry pieces moving. Where are the other Kwamiis you mentioned? Do you think they'll like me? What do I do or say?" the bluenette blurted out as she started gesturing widely. Clearly she was very flustered.

Wayzz floated in front of her telling her to calm down. They both had a job to do and they better get started before her parents got back. "Your Miraculous is glowing more intensely because it's waiting for you to awaken the others and meet them. Just as I was, they are slumbering in their Miraculouses." He paused for a second as he tried to find the right words to say to her. "I don't know how my fellow Kwamiis will act upon meeting you. You need to take a few deep breaths and relax. I'll handled the talking unless you're asked a direct question."

Marinette nodded and asked if her awakening the others would cause Nooroo to wake up again. Sadly it would because he'd been active before the failsafe was initiated. Dusuu wherever she was, would most likely awaken for a few seconds before going back to sleep, but only Wayzz knew that. It was time.

"Hold your wrist with the Miraculous straight out then place your hand on top of it. Concentrate hard on the Miraculous and your desire to see the other Kwamiis. When you can clearly picture them in your mind press down on your Miraculous while reciting the words, ""The Great Guardian commands you to awaken. Appear before me now for I am in need of you.""

Gulping Marinette did as Wayzz commanded her. She focused on the objects in front of her and imagine tiny little animals similar to Wayzz hovering above them. She imagined them all hugging her and giving her little kisses. In a strong clear voice she said, "The Great Guardian commands you to awaken. Appear before me now for I am in need of you." She pressed down on the Miraculous waiting to see what would happen.

The glowing bracelet made a humming sound and then let loose a shower of magical green energy that covered each Miraculous in the box. As soon as the magic touched it the colors changed as small balls of red, orange, yellow, and black lights levitated up. The slots missing Miraculouses filled up before balls of blue and purple shot out of the apartment.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Marinette screamed as the lights exploded in her face throwing her backwards as landed on the mat. Wayzz was torn before going to her and watching as the balls of light started to form into his fellow Kwamiis. He floated back to Marinette whose jaw dropped as the light show vanished. Hovering above their Miraculouses were four Kwamiis. Each of them had a big head with big eyes, small bodies, an antenna of some kind, and looked like an animal. They all opened their eyes and blinked a few times.

Wayzz cleared his throat and spoke up. "Hello everyone. I would like to introduce you all to my new wielder and the newest Great Guardian, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Marinette meet Tikki, Plagg, Trixx, and Pollen."

"She's the newest Great Guardian? She's just a kid," Plagg protested. He eyed her over before getting into Marinette's face. "I'm hungry. Why don't you get us all a snack so we can have our mourning meal to honor Master Fu?"

"Um okay. What do you like to eat um Plague was it?"

The little cat kwami scowled and hissed. "My name is PLAGG! If you don't know what my favorite food is, Camembert by the way, then how can you be the Great Guardian?"

"Plagg please calm yourself! We don't know how far along she was in her apprenticeship before he passed. Maybe they hadn't covered our favorites yet," Tikki scolded him as she grabbed his little cat tail and pulled him away.

"Apprenticeship?"

Trixx let out a something between a bark and howl before giggling. "Why the confused expression child? Did you call your time with learning the ropes of your new role something else?"

Marinette scratched the back of her head and was trying her best not to look embarrassed. "Hehe well you see I wasn't um. I guess you could say I'm ugh."

"You haven't had any training have you? Judging by our awakening and the Wayzz demeanor, did you just find the Miraculous and bully Wayzz into telling you the oath? Do you even know what the oath is?" Pollen demanded angrily.

Marinette stepped back frightened. She had no idea what the Kwamiis could do by themselves without their Miraculous. Wayzz hadn't demonstrated anything other than levitation. Could they curse her? Use their powers to change her into an animal? She closed her eyes and started to tremble.

"ENOUGH! My new wielder is young and has no training, but don't judge her because she rushed into this. Master Fu picked her because we had no one else. He never could find another apprentice to teach. Not after what happened to…"

All the Kwamiis looked down sadly as they remembered an event that happened a long long time ago. Unconsciously, they all hugged Wayzz murmuring insurances. They apologized for their reactions. Tikki suggested they all sit down and learn what happened to the former Great Guardian.

* * *

As Wayzz told the story, Marinette started looking for some snacks for the little Kwamiis to eat. She walked upstairs to the residential area. Opening the door, she was amazed. Like the spa, this place was heavily influenced with Chinese designs. The living room, dining area, and kitchen all looked like it came right out of a traditional home in China.

Electrified lanterns hung from the ceiling and gave off a soft glow. The furniture appeared to be over a hundred years old, but in great condition. Ink washed paintings depicted beautiful landscapes, the Chinese Zodiac, and there was even one in the corner that showed Fu and Wayzz together. All the appliances in the kitchen were brand new. She was heading towards the kitchen, but stopped when she saw the hallway to rest of the apartment.

"A quick peek won't hurt anyone. Besides, I'm supposed to be going through this stuff to decide what to do with it." Going down the hall the Chinese influences stopped. The walls had been painted with the Miraculous colors in abstract form. The small bathroom had decorations based on a peacock and a butterfly. Little origami peacocks and butterflies hung from the ceiling. The light switch was covered with peacock plate and the lights were shaped like little butterflies.

A small storage closet in the hall had bees and foxes playing tag with one another on both sides of the door. On the right side of the small closet was a mural of Pollen buzzing around with a tiara on her head and a large honey colored hive in the background. The left side showed Trixx darting through orange puffs of smoke and what appeared to be a ghost nipping at her heals.

The Miraculous theme carried over to the guest room. It was painted red and black. The small bed had ladybugs carved into the headboard, but the legs of the bed ended in cat paws. Tiny cat or ladybug trinkets sat on shelves around the room.

As her hand reached for the master room door, she paused. Something was telling her it wasn't time to open that door. That whatever was behind it would make cause her trouble if she came in right now. Master Fu had been dead less than a week. She wouldn't disturb the sanctuary of his room until months passed.

Going back to the kitchen she found some containers of food still in the refrigerator. Each was marked with the name of a kwami. Grabbing a platter she filled it with different foods: cookies, cheese, baby carrots, honey, and some hard boiled eggs. She returned to the spa just as Wayzz was finished telling them his story. All the Kwamiis looked super sad now.

Marinette placed the food platter on the mat and looked at each of the Kwamiis one by one. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. I knew Master Fu for only a few short hours, but I could tell he was kind hearted man who loved you all very much."

The Kwamiis sniffled before taking a tiny bite out of their snacks. Even Plagg, who normally inhaled his cheese took tiny bites. Trixx put down her egg as she listened to Marinette promise that while she didn't know everything about her new role, she would do her best to honor Master Fu's spirit.

"We know you will Great Guardian and we apologize for our actions earlier. This has never happened before, a Guardian being appointed without any training or knowledge of what that role means. Especially considering you were never meant to bond with Wayzz and his Miraculous."

"You say that like I was supposed to be bonded with someone else." The teen recalled that fateful day. Master Fu had been crossing the street trying to get to her. In the hospital he called her brave and honest. Why would he ask her to take on his job unless he already knew she could handle a Miraculous? She recalled what Ladybug had said in her dreams, that she was her most of the time.

"I was supposed to bond with you Tikki wasn't I?" Marinette blurted out, surprising all the little gods with her intuition. "The Miraculous they each revolve around something different right? From your comments, you believe I would be a better fit with the earrings and Tikki."

Tikki nodded her head and finished off her cookie. She levitated up and came to rest in Marinette's cupped hands. "You're right Marinette, you and I, are the perfect match. Ladybugs power comes from Good luck and Creation."

She felt the girl stiffen hearing those words and wondered why she reacted like that. Dismissing it she continued on explaining that Ladybugs were creative, brave, and a beacon of hope. They had an open mind letting them think outside the box and worked well with others. Their compassion, kindness, and optimism inspired other to do good deeds.

"If I'm supposed to be a Ladybug, then is it possible for me to bond with you as well?"

Plagg interjected before Tikki could speak. "Not unless you want to spontaneously combust." He snickered as the others looked at him with disapproval. He rolled his eyes in response. "What? You all know that could happen." Plagg levitated and snuggled down in her hair.

"While a person can wear two Miraculouses at once, it's not advisable. As you are now; your body, mind, and soul wouldn't be able to handle the strain. As much as Tikki wants to be with you she can't. The Great Guardian role is too important." Plagg meowed and then fell asleep on top of her head.

Yep he's still a lazy cat the little gods thought as they gently detangled him from Marinette's hair and placed him on the mat to sleep. Once that was done the others, save Wayzz, went to finish their meal before going upstairs to get the few things that belonged to them before they went back to slumber until they were needed.

Wayzz went over and took a seat in Marinette's lap. It was time he did some explaining and help her understand what being a Turtle and Great Guardian was all little turtle looked up at her; his eyes sparkling with wisdom as he chose his words carefully. "There is much for you to learn and tasks to complete to become a proper Great Guardian. As one, you will play a vital role in both the Kwamiis and their eventual wielders lives. I believe the first step in this journey would be to start with some background and explain the basics."

"Just like making a dress, you have to follow the pattern or it doesn't hold together," Marinette remarked metaphorically. Wayzz nodded in approval. "What is the history the Miraculouses and how is it connected to what is happening to your friend now?"

"Millenniums ago the world was a different place. Chaos could be found everywhere. Fear, anger, and unrest was felt throughout humanity as conquers enslaved each other and used their powers and numbers to spread the evils of humanity. It was a dark time.

Chaos can only be tempered by finding a balance. Since humans were spreading the chaos, it would take the powers of nature itself to turn the tide. The exact process to creating the Miraculous and our birth has been lost for ages, even to us. When you as old as we are you tend to forget things. All we know is that the seven Miraculous and all of us came into existence at the same time, with a purpose. To help humanity find balance through our individual means."

Marinette fed him a baby carrot patting him on the back. She listened as he told her about the Great Guardian, the first Miraculous user. Knowing that turtles carried heavy burdens on their backs every day, he chose the Turtle Bracelet to be the one to take on the extra duties of caring for the other Miraculous. A Great Guardian would protect, care, and love all seven. They would ensure the Miraculouses and the Kwamiis were not misused. If that happened, they would not rest until they brought the lost one home.

"Miraculouses can work solo, but are better when paired with their other half. Ladybug and Black Cats for example are the most famous. One is creation and the other destruction. Together they create a balance. Sometimes less than ideal matches must work together under extreme circumstances, which is a challenge, but manageable."

Marinette chewed her lip, worrying about that. She hoped that she could make good matches. If they can work together alone or with partners that means there's a lot of combinations for different threats What if they needed all seven against a dangerous foe? Would they all work as one and what kind of consequences would there be if they all used their power together?

She opened her mouth, but instead of her asking that question, what came out was, "What does it mean to be a Turtle? What kind of person works best with you?"

"People who aren't fun to be with right Pollen?" Trixx stated as she phased into the room with Pollen and Tikki following behind. They each carried tiny little knickknacks that must have been their beds or something given to them by Master Fu. The Fox Kwami grinned slyly. "Turtles have no sense of fun, and all they do is sit around giving advice."

Pollen buzzed angrily retorting that while Turtles tended to be loners, they were also spiritualist of great enlightenment. Tikki remarked that patience was something to strive for. Trixx stuck out her tongue and did a barrel roll in the air laughing at them.

"Will you keep it down, I'm trying to sleep," Plagg moaned. Before they all could get into an argument Marinette told them to settle down and let Wayzz finish his explanation. The Kwamiis all bowed their heads sheepishly. As far as first impressions go they were not showing their best side.

"As a Turtle, your powers are connected with Protection and Wisdom. Turtles are slow, but we are also patient and stand our ground. Our strength is in our defense, but we never forget that some things can penetrate our shell. That is why our Miraculous is the best one to take on the role of Great Guardian.

Marinette, this made be hard for you to do, but you must learn to be cautious. If there is a situation, you must observe everything and be patient waiting for the right moment to make your move. Turtles are considered symbols of wisdom and spirituality. Like real turtles, who can sense the slightest change in their environment, you must be able to feel the changes in the energy around you.

Almost everyone believes our weapon is a shield, but that is not true. The transformation provides you with a protective shell and thick carapace. That will keep you safe from most threats. Our weapon is a meteor hammer. One end to reach out to attack and other end making sure nothing gets us from behind.

The animal traits you will inherit from me can be hard to deal with. You'll crave heat and water more often. You're not going to slow down completely, but you might find some things take longer to do. The worst trait you'll inherit is longevity. Master Fu was actually a hundred eighty six years old when he passed. He could have lived up to two hundred and fifty if fate had been kinder."

Marinette eyes bugged out hearing that. The thought of living that long was unthinkable. Would she even age properly or still look like this thirty years from now? Lost in thought she almost missed the rest of Wayzz's explanation.

"Our basic power is the ability to create a shield to protect others when danger strikes. Depending on how many people you want to protect, the type of danger, and your own health, will determine the size and availability of the shield. To activate this power you must use the words, "Shell Guard."" After using that power you will have five minutes to find a safe place to hide before your transformation drops. Until I recharge you can't transform again. That's the basics you need to know for now."

Marinette felt like her head was going to explode with all this new information. If this was just the basics then the rest of her duties would be even harder. She was also worried about this transformation that Wayzz talked about. As the Great Guardian, how often would she need to transform to protect the Miraculouses? It was a daunting idea.

* * *

Later that night, she was in her bedroom, working on the new disguise for the Miraculous Chest. Her parents hadn't been surprised when had only brought a few things back with her knowing it could take weeks to sort through everything. Thankfully, the building inspector would be coming while she would be in school on Monday and send his report to her parents later that day.

The gramophone disguise would not work anymore, not in this day and age. Besides collecting antiques wasn't her style. Her tongue stuck out of her mouth as she carefully sewed together a gray cover for the box. Scattered on the desk were four tiny legs, a box of sequins, and some reflective glass. Along with some glue and a small peridot turtle charm, she had also pulled out a small motor, a small wind upper and a key.

"What are you making exactly?" Wayzz asked curiously from his bed, the little matchbox from the Chat Noir Theater. Marinette had cleared some space on the desk to make room for a tiny fountain with a small pool and a mini heat lamp. Wayzz was pleased to have his own little space to himself.

"I'm making a disguise for the chest. I've been planning for a while to create a special box for my diary to keep it safe so I had the basic supplies around. Instead of a box I'm going to disguise the chest, as one of those figurines that spin around, on a glass surface. I'll make a hidden zipper and keyhole that only I can access when I need to get to the Miraculous Chest." She eyeballed the shelf above her headboard. The disguised chest would fit in there with half an inch to spare.

Wayzz nodded his approval. It would be a perfect disguise for his new wielder. No one would question about the craft project. He knew that Marinette could finish this project in a day or two depending on her work schedule. Still as important as the new disguise was, time was running out for Nooroo.

Wayzz had sensed Nooroo's reemergence earlier that day when the Miraculous had been awakened. From past experience he knew that a kwami not in the present of the new Great Guardian would be in a catatonic state for day or two as he or she connected long distance with his new wielder. Whoever had Nooroo would certainly strike Monday no doubt.

Tomorrow, I'll tell her tomorrow. She's already had a big day today. She's needs plenty of rest for the task tomorrow. Especially considering how hard it would be he thought silently to himself.

* * *

The next morning Marinette was up early. Every Sunday she had to get up early to help with the customers and assist her parents with making enough bread and pastries to handle the morning rush for Monday and Tuesday. She was trying to hurry to get downstairs to help, but she felt like she was stuck today. It took her a good fifteen minutes to do her whole morning routine. After getting some baby carrots for Wayzz she headed to the bakery.

"Do my eyes trick me? Is that my Marinette, up and ready for the day without looking frazzled. Sabine it's a miracle!" Tom insisted to his wife. She playfully swatted his shoulder and praised her daughter for a good job on getting up.

"I can get up and properly be ready for the day if I want," Marinette huffed as she went over to her to the prep table and started make the dough for the bread. She remembered to add a bit of cinnamon since her parents wanted to try making cinnamon bread as a special morning treat for repeat customers.

After making enough dough she started to kneed, pound, and shape the bread so that it was circular and the crust wrapped around each piece. Putting the bread in the oven to bake, she started the process on making cheese bread. When she was finished, she pulled out the baked loaves of bread and set them on the cooling rack before putting in the new batch.

As soon as the bread cooled enough to touch she carried it out to her mom who was setting up the displays. Both of them put the bread in the right spot. Then it was back to the kitchen to continue the process. Once they had enough food out, the family opened the bakery.

It was a busy morning with so many people coming in to get breakfast or treats for later in the day. Marinette was trying to keep up with orders making sure everyone got the right order, she didn't even notice Wayzz had come downstairs and was waving at her frantically. They hadn't been bonded long enough for her to feel his presence nearby. So he did the only thing he could think of to get her attention.

Sabine heard the sound of something hitting the floor. She looked into the entrance way to the apartment and saw Wayzz on his back waving his limbs about. "Poor thing, did Marinette forget to close her door? You must have taken all morning to get down here." She picked him up and cradled him in one hand before waving her hand towards her daughter.

Marinette came over and was shocked to see Wayzz downstairs. She hoped her mom hadn't seen him levitating. "Is he hurt? How did he get downstairs?" she whispered as her mom transferred him into her hand.

"I don't think he's hurt, just scared. You must have left your door open by accident. He must not be used to being alone for so long." Marinette nodded and asked if she could take the rest of the day off. Sabine nodded so Marinette headed back to her room.

"What did you think you were doing? What if someone saw you levitating? Your cover would be blown," she hissed as she hurried up the stairs to her room

"I'm sorry Marinette. I wouldn't have risked it if it wasn't an emergency. Nooroo will be able to transform his new master tomorrow once his power returns. You need to do your duty as the Great Guardian and release the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses to their chosen ones now."

Her heart started beating faster and her eyes widened. She had to get the Miraculouses to two people today without being seen? How was she supposed to do that? I know what kind of person Tikki needs, but Plagg never explained what kind of person he works with. I can't give the power of destruction to just anybody!

Wayzz could tell what she was thinking and he quickly assured her that Master Fu had a list of candidates they had been observing for some time. The good news was that the chosen for Plagg was alive and lived close by. The bad news, he was extremely hard to get too and it would take a lot of luck to give him the Miraculous without being caught.

"Okay, I can work with that. So who is the unlucky guy to give Plagg too?" She watched as Wayzz tugged out one of her fashion magazines. He started flipping through it until he came across a full spread page advertising for the _Gabriel_ brand. Wayzz started tapping the face of the model on the page.

Honestly, she never looked at the models, just the clothes. So when she read the caption and recalled why Chloe had been hogging her seat all week, she was understandably shocked. " _Adrien Agreste?_ The son of Paris top fashion designer is who Plagg has to go too? He looks like he couldn't handle anything that didn't include posing for a camera. Plus he's probably just a brat like Chloe."

"Don't make assumptions about people from second hand knowledge. Until you've met him yourself don't form an opinion based on how someone else acts," Wayzz reprimanded her. He surprised himself by being so forceful. Marinette apologized to her kwami for her rudeness.

"You're forgiven Marinette. If I'm honest, I thought those things myself when Master Fu and I started observing him." The turtle held back his tears before speaking again. "You need to find him and test him before slipping him the Miraculous. Normally, you would transform and leave the box where he could find it, but you're not ready for that."

Marinette asked if he couldn't simply phase the box through the walls of Adrien's house to deliver it. She had seen the other Kwamiis do that. It turned out that a Kwamii could only phase things that had been tied to their essences and even then it was draining. No, Marinette would have to do the delivery the old fashion way.

That still left the question of how she was supposed to find this Adrien Agreste, give him a test of sorts, before giving him Plagg without being noticed. Leaning on the window sill she gazed at the city below hoping to be inspired by something out there.

"Wait a minute, that's it! Give me a minute to check something on my computer." Wayzz spun around several times as the teen girl looked something up on the computer, ran to the vanity to get the smaller boxes before checking the computer again. She fiddled with her still half-finished disguise for the Miraculous Chest before tripping on her book bag and landed on her back catching the ring and earrings. One last check on the computer before she snagged her sketchpad, pencils and stuffed them into her small purse along with Wayzz before dashing out the house.

* * *

It took a few bus transfers before Marinette ended up in the Louvre and Tuileries District, the fashion center of the city. If you wanted high end designs and one of kind pieces, you shopped here after saving your money for months. Finding a place to sit in the famous Tuileries Garden behind the Louvre Museum, she started to sketch the plants around her, and figure how to incorporate them into a simple tunic.

Wayzz poked his head out of the purse. It was a mess inside that needed to be cleaned up. He was wondering where they both were. This place didn't look like it was near the Agreste Mansion. "What are we doing here Marinette?"

"Creating our own good luck. According to the _Gabriel_ web page they're doing a small photo shoot inside the fashion house a few blocks away. The website mentioned that Adrien Agreste would be part of the photo shoot," she explained not looking up once from her sketch. She paused, erased and redrew the lines so they angled more.

Wayzz caught on to her idea at once. With so many people around to watch the shoot or there to get autographs, the best chance of getting away unnoticed was if the car was parked a few blocks away and they took the back entrance that led through the Garden. If they timed this right they might just be able to pull this off.

Fifteen minutes later Marinette was truly engrossed with her tunic design. Her sketch had used the plants around her to form the shape of a turtle on the front of it. It was done in such subtle way, a person wearing it wouldn't see the pattern at first.

Wayzz spied the teen and his two constant companions coming this way. He closed the purse until there was only a tiny bit of light. Bracing himself, he felt when Marinette started to lose her balance when she got up. She collided with the boy and her sketchpad went skidding across the garden. She stumbled a few feet before falling over a bench into a flower bush.

Adrien stopped in his tracks as his bodyguard pushed him behind him. He saw the girl struggling to get out of the flower bush, but she was tangled really well. Ignoring Nathalie's calls for him to get back here, he darted forward and held out his hand to help the girl up. "Are you okay?"

"Just a couple of scratches. I've had worse falls. I can be kinda of clumsy," the girl laughed as she stood up. She had some sticks in her hair so he pulled them out. "Thanks for your help. I was so caught up in my sketching…. Oh do you see my sketchbook anywhere?"

He spotted the sketchbook and jogged a few paces while his bodyguard tried to grab hold of him as Nathalie insisted they had a schedule to keep. No one noticed Marinette slip a tiny box into Adrien's bag hidden pocket. When Adrien returned a few seconds later all he saw was the grateful smile on her face.

"Thank you. I would hate to lose all my newly sketched designs. Well I should be going. Thank you again for your help." She waved at him before walking away from the garden trying to get her heart to stop beating so fast. "I can't believe I pulled that off. I probably looked like an idiot."

"I don't think he thought that. He seemed to be genuine in helping you and took responsibility for find your sketchbook. Adrien Agreste passed your test meaning he is the one." Marinette smiled at the slight praise.

One Miraculous has been delivered, but what am I going to do now? I was in such a rush to get Plagg where he needed to go, that I didn't stop to think about finding out where the girls on Master Fu's list live. I feel like I need a recharge myself. Being a Guardian is hard work.

* * *

Entering a café she got herself some lunch and sat outside. She enjoyed the background noise of the city reminding her it was full of life and possibilities. She opened her purse a tiny bit more giving Wayzz some fresh air. The tiny turtle was grateful as he finished cleaning up the purse. If this was going to be his new mode of transportation, he wanted it to be neat and clean.

"I've never been so thankful for having a good memory." The kwami started to write down the short list of candidates that could possibly grow into the role of Ladybug. None of them were exact matches and there was always the possibility they wouldn't work well with Adrien. They had to find a girl who could handle the pressure and at the same time not be to bold or shy. This was the trickiest match yet and it wasn't even Trixx's fault this time!

Meanwhile Marinette was trying to figure out why her heart was still beating so fast and why she couldn't get the encounter with Adrien out of her head. "He was so kind helping a complete stranger. He didn't have to pull those twigs out of my hair. It was very gentlemen like the way he retrieved my sketchbook. I hope he doesn't think I'm a spaz. Why does it matter so much since we're not going to be partners?"

Wayzz couldn't tell her the truth at least not now. He couldn't afford her to be distracted right now. Once she got a better handle of her responsibilities he would tell her. For now he slipped the list of candidates to her. "Master Fu and I only observed three other girls who could possibly become Ladybug with the right mentoring."

The first two names on the list, Nicole Gardien and Stella Amour, were total strangers to her. However the last name on the list surprised her; Mireille Caquet. "Mireille is on the list?"

Wayzz's antenna rose up. "Do you know Ms. Caquet?" he asked in surprised tone.

Marinette shrugged her shoulders and raised her eyebrows slightly showing an expression of slight familiarity, but not closeness. "Not very well. We went to the same école. We were classmates in third and fourth grade. We've talked occasionally over the years since we attend the same college and I'm pretty sure she's in the scrap-booking club with my friend Rose."

"Do you know anything else about her? Her interests and perhaps insight into her personality?"

"I know she wants to be a weather girl at KIDZ+ and is entered in the contest to become a junior weather forecaster for a year. She's a kind person who works well with others. She's sort of popular? I mean, at school she's got a close group of friends, and because of this contest, she's a pretty much gained a following," Marinette told him. She paused then added Mireille was pretty shy and quiet.

That matched up with what Master Fu had observed. Her shyness and quiet nature was why she was on the bottom of the possible candidates to be Ladybug. Still, the girl was brave enough to enter a contest with a lot of media coverage and had the creative streak needed to become a proper Ladybug. She also went to the same school as Marinette which would be helpful in keeping an eye on her.

"What do you want to do Marinette? As the Great Guardian you have to choose who you think is best for Tikki. Do you want to forget about Mireille and go check out the other two or give her the Miraculous?"

Marinette hated being put on the spot. Using her phone she checked social media to get an idea of Nicole and Stella. Nicole's profile showed an athletic girl who loved running for charity causes. She volunteered at art programs for kids. Still something in the girl's eyes didn't seem right.

Stella's profile described her as the girl everybody loved. Funny, smart, and beautiful. While not the most creative person, she did enjoy going to galleries. Looking at friends list, it seemed that Stella had a set of standards a person had to meet before she consider your invite. That didn't sound like someone who worked well with others.

Mireille is shy and quiet, but she could grow out of this with Tikki's help. She likes working with others and I could become a better friend with her. Standing up Marinette whispered to Wayzz that she was going to go with gut instincts and give the earrings to Mireille. He nodded in approval pleased she had made her choice and was sticking with it.

Mireille was doing her homework for Ms. Mendeleiev's science class when her mother called her downstairs. Walking downstairs she was surprised to see Marinette Dupain-Cheng in the entrance way with a box of cookies from her family bakery and along with her book bag. "Marinette? I'm surprised, you haven't come here since our école days."

Marinette laughed a little uneasily. "I know and I'm sorry about that. I just got so busy helping out with the bakery and designing that I let somethings slip."

Mireille nodded and asked why Marinette had come over. She listened patiently as the French/Chinese girl explained about her last week and that she had barely had time to finish her homework. It turned out she was struggling with Mendeleiev's science homework and needed help. "I remembered you got straight A's in science and hoped you might give me a hand in exchange for some cookies?"

"Well I can't turn down the offer of free cookies. Sure, I help you. Come on upstairs, I was just getting started myself." Marinette nodded gratefully as she followed the girl upstairs to her room.

Mireille's room was cozy. She had mobiles of different weather patterns hanging from the ceiling. On the left side of her room was series of small shelves with different weather instruments. She had a small desk and Marinette could see a few scrapbooks poking out from the bottom drawer. "So what is causing you the most problems with your homework?" Mireille asked.

"The formulas for measuring and converting the different types of energy sources. I keep getting mixed up which one applies to what source. Is Kelvin related to electricity and jolts to heat, or is vice versa?"

Mireille smiled kindly at her and started to help Marinette out. It was clear the girl had some basic grasps on units of measuring when it came to baking, but not so much when it came to physical science.

Marinette was grateful for the help. She hadn't been lying when she had asked for help. Science was not easy for her. By agreeing to help her, despite not be close friends, Mireille had passed her test. The cookies would come in handy for Tikki once she left the box behind.

When Mireille excused herself to go to the bathroom, Marinette quickly pulled the earrings out and hid the box in one of the desk drawers. Without a doubt she knew that Mireille would find and open it. Hopefully she wouldn't freak out to much meeting Tikki.

Later as she left the Caquet's residence she slowed her pace down. "Did I do okay today Wayzz? Did I make the right choice giving Mireille the Miraculous?"

"Time will tell. I'm proud of how resourceful you were today in getting the Miraculouses to their chosen ones. You were patient and steadfast with your choices. Those are signs of a good Great Guardian. Tomorrow you need to be prepared. There's no doubt Nooroo's new master will attack." The teen clutched the strap of the purse tightly hoping she made the right call.

* * *

The next morning Marinette got up early. She wanted to finish her disguise for the Miraculous Chest before school started. She had already finished decorating it and putting the figurine on the reflective glass alone with getting the legs glued on. All that was left was to do was install the motor and winder upper and drill a tiny hole for the lock and key. When finished, all she had to do to access the Miraculouses was remove the cover by unzipping the hidden zipper and insert the key. The motor would run in reverse and the lid would open and boom, she could get to the Miraculouses.

Hard to believe my world's been changed in just a week. Not only did I meet an extraordinary man, I inherited his job and estate. I've seen things that can't be unseen. Giving those Miraculouses to Mireille and Adrien was it, was the hardest thing I have ever done. I hope I don't regret what I did.

Putting her screwdriver down for a second she looked at the small urn that held Master Fu's ashes. She had placed it next to Wayzz's bed. The ink picture of him and Fu was on the wall just above him. Wayzz was still sleeping in his little bed a smile on his face.

I really should do something nice for Wayzz later today. After all tonight it will be officially a week since his last wielder died. Maybe we can light some incense for Fu she thought. Turning back to the project she continued her work. Finally an hour before school was supposed to start it was done.

"I hope that Trixx and Pollen are okay in there. Well time to change my bandages and get ready for school." Her abrasions would talk another two weeks to heal considering how much skin was ripped off. They still hurt a little, but not as much as before. "I hope Ms. Bustier will finally get my seat back for me. I'm tired of Chloe bullying me."

* * *

While Marinette got ready for school, Nooroo had finally come out of his cationic state and his master was demanding answers for what was going on and why he couldn't use the Miraculous for days.

"Please Master, I can't tell you exactly what happened. I'm forbidden too."

Hawkmoth growled not happy with that answer at all. He snatched the little kwami out of the air and started squeezing him tightly. "I don't care if it's forbidden. You _will_ tell me what I want to know or I will cut off your wings!"

Nooroo whimpered knowing that his master would carry out his threat. His emotions nearly overwhelmed the little butterfly and he couldn't take a chance that he might not heal if he lost his wings. "I can tell you a few things Master, not everything. If I reveal too much the consequences would delay you further."

Hawkmoth growled at him, but with his newly developed empathy knew he was telling the truth. He released the little kwami and tapped his feet impatiently.

"The Great Guardian's kwami went to sleep for a few days so all of us did too. The Guardian's kwami has woken up and so now I'm awake again."

"Why would you go to sleep if the Guardian's kwami went to sleep? Is there something special about that particular kwami? What would make this Great Guardian put the kwami to sleep?"

Nooroo felt the burning inside his chest. The tips of wings started to smoke. He would not reveal the truth surrounding the Guardian, especially since he knew how vulnerable this one was. "The Guardian usually puts the kwami to sleep if he's sick to heal him. Since the Guardian job is to watch over us, we entered sleep as well so that the Guardian can concentrate on getting the kwami better."

Hawkmoth sensed the truth in Nooroo's words. He hadn't gone into much detail yet he told him enough to satisfy his curiosity for now. I'll have to do some research on this Great Guardian. Hopefully the book has something on this Great Guardian.

"You have done well Nooroo. Thank you for being honest with me. Now that you're feeling up to it, it's time to set my plan in motion. Darkwings rise!" Again Nooroo was pulled into his Miraculous as his nightmare began again. Hawkmoth was pleased to be in his transformed state once more.

"Now to find my first victim. One that will make this city shake and generate enough fear that will have to draw out the Miraculouses. Whoever the new heroes are, they'll fail spectacularly in front of everyone."

* * *

Back at school Marinette was finally sitting in her proper seat with Alya next to her. Ms. Bustier had a long talk with Chloe about taking another student's seat and that she would not tolerate the girl's bullying no matter who her father was. In the end Chloe and Sabrina had been forced to reclaim their old seats.

Marinette did her best to ignore Chloe's heated eyes. She knew Chloe would do something to humiliate her in front of the class. She only hoped it wouldn't be to embarrassing.

Inside her purse, Wayzz was trying to get comfortable. It was his first day at Marinette's school and he was listening to the lecture. Despite being over 5,000 years old he never lost his interest in learning new things. He peeked out of the tiny opening in the purse to see what was going on.

"Now it important to remember that when writing a poem, you decided on the type of poem you want to write. Haiku's are easy as long as you follow the five seven five syllables. The topic of a Haiku is usually something related to nature or advice, but can be about something else.

Limericks can be a bit harder to do since they are poems that are humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet. Not everyone can do this successfully, yet it can be interesting challenge.

One of my favorite kinds of poems are description letter poems. For example, you take your name and using each letter you write something that describes who you are. This one is a bit easier because it's about you."

Mrs. Bustier turned to the class and asked them to start writing their description letter poems. Marinette would have to be really creative because her whole name was super long. She had just finished her first name when she heard a scuffle going on. She looked up and saw Ivan trying to get his poem back from Kim who was holding out of reach laughing. "Give that back Kim before I…"

"You'll what? Make kissy faces?"

"That's enough! Mr. Le Chen detention after school. Mr. Bruel Headmaster's office now!" Both boys growled, but Ms. Bustier was firm in her resolve. As Ivan left the classroom Marinette felt a shiver go down her spine. Something wasn't right.

Back with Hawkmoth he had zeroed on Ivan's anger and released an akuma. As soon as his akuma possessed the object he was linked to the young man's mind. "Stoneheart, you're in trouble because of the actions of another. Who is he to make fun of your work, especially a poem about you? I like to offer my help. I'll give you the power to get back at your enemy, all I ask in return is that you fetch a pair of earrings and a ring. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes Hawkmoth I'm ready!" Purple smoke covered him as he was transformed into a monster. Letting loose a roar he started storming around as he searched for Kim just as the students were changing classes. Everyone stared at the sight of the monsters. "Kim, you will pay!" before Stoneheart swung his huge fist destroying part of the second level. Everyone screamed as they ran into classrooms or tried to get to the courtyard below to escape.

* * *

Mireille had managed to get to get to the courtyard and was hiding in the girl's bathroom. She was trembling badly frightened for her life. There was the sound of something large hitting the door to the bathroom, blocking her escape. Clutching her backpack tightly, something popped out of the side pocket. It was a strange box she found in her drawer that morning.

She had been planning to open at lunch today, but something inside her told her to open it now. She had no idea that at the same time in the Agreste Mansion; Adrien was doing the same thing. They both opened their boxes and saw a bright flash of light. They pulled back and when the light dimmed down they came face to face with Tikki and Plagg.

"Hello Mireille, it's nice to meet you! I'm Tikki!" Tikki got a lot of different reactions when she met her wielders for the first time. Mireille just started at her, color leaving her skin as her head fell backwards hitting the side of the stall. "Oh dear, not one of my better introductions."

While Tikki was trying to wake up her chosen Plagg was hoping his would stop asking a million questions. So far he'd been asked who and what was he followed by why was he here and where did he come from before launching into asking when he got here.

"You humans are too curious for your own good," the little cat kwami moaned. He flew over the window and looked outside angling himself so he could at least see in the direction of the school.

"Hey get away from there! You don't want to be seen!" Adrien hissed as he snatched the kwami away from the window. He then froze as smoke filled the air followed by heavy footstep echoing this way. Adrien flipped on his TV and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"New reports are coming in as we speak. As strange as it sounds ladies and gentlemen a real monster has appeared in our own streets. The monster appeared in the courtyard of the Collège Françoise Dupont earlier this morning. The monster, who calls himself Stoneheart has destroyed most of the second floor by ripping the walkway apart and destroying one staircases. Rescuers are still helping trapped students and teachers get free.

Meanwhile the police are attempting to contain this monster whose rage is tearing apart the city. While his attacks seem random, some authorities suspect the creature might have agenda in mind. If they cannot captured the beast, then use of deadly force will be given."

"Why do you humans always try to kill something if you can't control it? Look akuma are dangerous, but they can be cleansed and restored to normal. With the right Miraculouses."

Adrien turned to the little cat kwami trying to figure him out. Noticing the ring still in the box, the model took a gamble that it was the Miraculous the creature mentioned. He quickly slipped it on and point blank told Plagg, "You have five minutes to bring me up to speed before we're out of here got it?"

"Something tells me I'll like living with you kid."

Back in the bathroom Mireille had recovered her wits. The little ladybug thing hadn't disappeared and was pleading with her to put on the earrings in the box. "You need to get out there and help Mireille. The only one who can stop Stoneheart and return him to normal is you. Paris is counting on you."

"This isn't possible. I'm dreaming. You're not real!"

"Mireille Caquet, you were chosen to be Ladybug, one of the highest honors a person can ask for. I know your scared, frightened, and that you think you're going crazy, but you're not!" Tikki picked up the earrings and placed them in Mireille's hands her big eyes pleading with the girl.

"Someone who means a lot to me believed you could be a heroine. That you could work with a partner and save Paris. You believe you can be a weather forecaster in front of thousands of people. Why can't you do the same now?"

Mireille heard sounds of people screaming for help and rescuers trying to save them. The stomping sounds still echoed as they moved away from the school. Whatever or whoever that monster was needed to be stopped before someone got really hurt.

She slipped on the earrings and asked Tikki to fill her in on what she needed to know. The little kwami wasted no time explaining what an akuma was, how to defeat it, and what powers she had along with the time limit. "All you need to do to activate the transformation is say Spots On."

"Spots on?" There was whoosh as Tikki flew into the earrings. She felt a mask form on her face. Her arms twisted a bit as a long sleeved red tunic dress with black spots formed. Underneath the tunic form fitting black leggings appeared and she had spotted slipper shoes. The magic flowed around her head creating little black antennas on her head held there by a red ribbons. Around her waist a thin belt made of yo-yo string appeared. The transformation was over.

Opening the stall, she stood in front of the mirror gasping. She looked so different. "Is this really me?" she whispered pressing her palm to the mirror. Hearing the cries for help climbed up the bathroom windows, tossed the yo-yo and was soon swinging off in the direction of Stoneheart. She had no idea following close behind was Chat Noir as he tried to get use to his new way of moving.

* * *

Marinette and Alya had been evacuated from the school and told to go home. "Come on Alya, you can stay with me at the bakery. It will be safe there."

"Are you kidding me girlfriend? This is a once and life time opportunity! A real life monster is trashing Paris! This is the story of the century and I'm going to go cover it!" Alya started to run off, only for Marinette to grab her by the arm.

"That monster ripped apart a staircase and nearly demolished the second floor of our school. People are still trapped in there until the rescuers can get them out. You can't seriously want to go after that thing. You could end up really hurt or maybe even dead."

Alya freed herself from her friend's arm already pulling out her camera. "That's the risk all journalist take in order to report the news. I've always dreamed of this. If there's a monster, there's a hero around somewhere. I'll be the first one to crack it." Before Marinette could stop her Alya went chasing Stoneheart.

"Alya's going to get herself in major trouble. I don't even know if Mireille and Adrien are using their Miraculouses right now. Oh what do I do?" she moaned to herself.

"First, you need to go home and show your parents that you're okay. Second, you can call the police and alert them about Alya, if you can get through. If you can't then we might have to do something drastic," Wayzz told her. The little kwami head was scrunched up since he was thinking really hard about what they needed to do next.

Marinette did as Wayzz asked going home. They were so happy she was safe and sound, but both grew concerned when she told them about Alya. She was refusing to answer her phone and none of them could reach her parents or the police. "Do you think Alya will be okay?"

"I'm sure she will be Marinette. Why don't you go to your room and lie down? You will work yourself into frenzy if you keep worrying about Alya right now. I know this is hard but there's nothing you can do right now," Sabine told her gently. With nothing else to do she went upstairs to her room.

Instead of resting she turned on her computer and switched it to the local news. So far the police hadn't been able to stop Stoneheart. Was it her imagination or did the Stoneheart get bigger every time he was hit? "Where are they? Did they answer the call?" she whispered to herself.

"They did, I can sense them out there trailing the monster, but their energies have not collided yet meaning they haven't met each other. Don't be upset that you can't sense their energies right now, you'll learn with time."

Marinette hoped he was right. It felt wrong just to be sitting in her room as she watched the report. As the camera panned around, she caught a glimpse of red and black on the edge of the camera and then something that shocked her. Kim was still running the streets. Why hadn't he found a place to hide yet?

"Stoneheart is pursing him relentlessly. He probably isn't thinking straight," Wayzz told her. As the broadcast returned to Nadja Chamack discussing the problem Wayzz antenna twitched. "They have met each other. Hopefully they can work together."

"Why wouldn't they? You said that the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses always went together. Their partnership is legendary right?" Marinette asked a little puzzled by Wayzz concern.

Wayzz once again felt guilty about not telling her the truth. Would Master Fu have told her the truth right away or kept it from her? He didn't know what Fu would do if this girl was his apprentice. He liked to watch things unfold though he also gave advice and hint that contained the truth in it. Wayzz wasn't sure he could do the same.

"Never mind Marinette. Right now we need to discuss how you're going to do your observations." Marinette gave him a puzzled look before remembering Wayzz mentioned Turtles being observers. "As the Great Guardian, you have the responsibility of watching over the new wielders the first few times they are out."

"To make sure they're using their Miraculouses responsibly right? To help out only if they need it?"

"You forgot that you're observing team dynamics and watching for problems that you can help guide them through. Don't forget to keep an eye on the enemy as well. The Great Guardian has to know all he or she can about the enemy if the wielders are too succeed. We only intervene as a last resort."

Being a Turtle is hard. I can't be seen and I have to stay quiet. How can I observe and not act? The only way I think that will happen is if I stay here, but the TV broadcast isn't getting me anywhere she thought to herself.

"As much as don't want to do this, you're going to have to transform and catch up with them. It is always a good idea to observe the fight first in person." Marinette open her mouth, but he continued on. "I know I told you that you weren't ready for a transformation and I still believe that." He floated down and tapped her bandaged arms. "Transforming while you have a major injury or sickness can be dangerous. You won't heal while transformed and your injuries could cause you significant problems or make me sick. I wanted to wait until after you were healed to practice."

"This is an emergency, we can't wait for me to heal. I'll do my best not to get hurt. Just tell me what to do," Marinette asked in energetic yet also slightly scared tone. This was a scary moment.

"The words to transform are Shell Closed. To turn back to normal simply say Shell Open. While I am in the Miraculous we can't communicate. You'll have to do your best on your own. You remember everything else I told you?" With a nod he told he was ready.

"Shell Closed!" Instantly Wayzz was sucked into the Miraculous as yellow green light surrounded her. She ran her fingers straight down her face as a green mask covered her eyes. The yellow green light traveled down her chest and back forming a thick carapace on with a peridot stone in the center and a thick shell on her back. As the light traveled down her arms they got covered with thick sleeves as elbows and wrist guards appeared. Running down the length of the arms seemed to be an extra layer of fabric that was tied up. Her legs got the same treatment with thick ankle boots and knee guards. The last thing to appear was her weapon wrapped around her waist.

The transformation was finished and Marinette nearly toppled over. "I didn't expect the shell to be so heavy. How thick is this carapace?" Pushing herself upright she looked at her reflection. "Wonder what the extra fabric is for? So this is my weapon? Maybe I won't have to use it."

"Citizens of Paris, the police are urging its citizens to stay indoors. I repeat indoors! The monster has grown exponentially. The police haven't been able to stop him yet and there is talk of bringing the military in. Please stay indoors for your own safety."

"That's one rule I'll have to break. I just need a name," she whispered as she climbed up to her balcony. Remembering her dream and seeing the stone on her chest she knew what her name would be. "Peridot Turtle."

As she said that some instinct took over. She used the meteor hammer to pop open a manhole cover. Jumping down she entered the sewer system. Without thinking she dove into the water, the fabric spread out creating flippers and mask expanded turning into a face plate with an oxygen tube. Trusting her instincts she started swimming towards the battle.


	3. Yo-Yo now Meteor Hammer

Peridot Turtle swam through the sewers trying not to think about how polluted the water was. "I am so thankful that this suit comes with an oxygen mask and face plate. I never could stand swimming in this muck without it," she told herself. As she continued to swim she thought about how weird this transformation was.

In the water, the shell helped, making her streamlined so she swam faster. Items in the water would bounce off the shell and it didn't hurt much. The extra fabric had given her pseudo flippers like a sea turtle helping her steer. Surfacing, she pulled herself up onto the walkway of the sewers.

Instantly the flippers folded up and her face plate changed back into a mask. She pulled off her weapon now noticing how balanced it was. Not too heavy for her to use, but strong enough to get through anything. She recalled her mother telling her that her ancestors had created this weapon and her Uncle Wang, before he became a master chief, had dabbled in the martial arts and used such a weapon.

She noticed a faint outline on one of the spherical heads. Tapping it, Peridot Turtle was surprised by what she saw. "An instant Wi-Fi link, GPS, and communication abilities! I though this weapon was a thousand years old! Does it update with the times?"

The "ceiling" above her started to fall down on her as something huge on the street above stomped by. A large brick came loose and started falling for her head. Instinctively she brought her arms up to cover her head. The thick material and guards protected her arms while causing the brick to break apart in many different pieces. She felt a quick flair from her abrasions, but it wasn't as bad as she thought. Clearly the fabric and guards were meant to protect her from danger.

The GPS starting pinging. She looked at it and saw one black dot and red dot converging on a flashing white dot. They were two blocks from the Princess Stadium. "Okay, got to move, need to get there and observe." Peridot Turtle took off running surprised that she could move so fast. The transformation gave her extra speed, strength, and endurance plus stamina.

A short while later Peridot Turtle emerged from the sewers and carefully made her way to the Princess Stadium. Thanks to the warning there was no one in the area to see her emerge. She crept into the stadium where she could hear sounds of a battle going on. "Should I go help them? No, no I couldn't. They need to learn to work together. Besides, observing the fight is just as important. Now I need to get somewhere high enough to see while also making sure I can't be seen. Maybe the announcer's box?"

Using the Wi-Fi feature, she got a map of the stadium and crept towards the box. She was just starting to climb the stairs when she saw Alya. Her best friend was on the side lines filming the whole fight right out in the open with no protection and cover at all. Once again Peridot Turtle faced a dilemma.

On the one hand she could grab Alya and take her to safety, but that would expose her. Wayzz had be very clear that she was not be seen until he deemed the new heroes were ready to meet her. On the other hand, if she did was she was supposed to do, Alya might get hurt or she could be just fine. What to do what to do?

After a moment of hesitation she hurried up to the announcer box, locked the door and look down at the fight below her. Apparently when in costume her sense of smell and eyesight was stronger, but her hearing stayed the same. "I really hope that Alya doesn't notice this." Peridot Turtle started tapping her touch screen and by some miracle managed to hack into Alya's live stream so now she could hear what was going on.

* * *

Down below the two heroes fought with everything they had. Chat Noir extend his baton and pole volted over Stoneheart's head, causing the monster to turn halfway around in an attempt to grab the annoying boy. "Ladybeetle, your yo-yo!' he shouted at his partner.

"Ri…right!" Ladybeetle called out. Right now she was scared out of her mind. She winded up the pitch gaining momentum before releasing the yo-yo in arc. It wrapped around Stoneheart's waist as she pulled tightly. The akuma tried to turn back around as Ladybeetle pulled with all her might and he toppled to the ground.

Chat Noir raced up and swung his baton down bashing Stoneheart in the face. He thought it would put him down only to watch in horror as the akuma grew in size bellowed so loudly he sent Chat Noir into the goal at opposite end of the field.

Stoneheart bellowed out "KIM! MUST DESTROY KIM!" A purple butterfly mask appeared over his face. A few seconds later he shouted. "MUST OBTAIN EARRINGS AND RING FOR MASTER!" He charged at Ladybeetle who seemed frozen in place. Unable to move, Stoneheart snatched her up and started shaking her upside down trying to get the earrings to fall off. It was strange that he wouldn't use his other hand.

"Let…me…g…g…go!" Ladybeetle shouted, well more like talked very loudly as she struggled to break out of the monster's grip. Amazingly her tunic dress hadn't fallen in front of her face. She could see Chat Noir sneaking towards her and Stoneheart. He seemed to be hesitating, not sure if he should use his powers. "Stoneheart! You can't shake my earrings off! Why don't you trying using your fingers for a change?"

Stoneheart grunted as he tried to keep a hold of the heroine and use a finger to grab her earrings, but his stone fingers were much too big to grab them. While Stoneheart was distracted Chat Noir activated his power. "Cataclysm!"

The ground below crumbled to dust as it spread across the field cause Stoneheart to sink into the ground, releasing Ladybeetle, who flipped herself upright. "His possessed item must be in his hand. I hope this works. Lucky Charm!" Out of the air dropped a red spotted cork. "Oh my, not very useful."

"We only got five minutes left. Think!" Chat Noir encouraged her. He kept an eye on Stoneheart. He was seconds from pulling himself out of the ground. If he managed to get out, there was nothing they could do.

Ladybeetle's eyes darted around frantically as ladybug colors highlighted different things. An idea clicked in her mind and she hoped it worked. "Citizen, stop filming and turn on the water, Chat Noir bring me the hose now."

Both did as they were asked as she stuffed the cork in the hose letting the water pressure grow. She aimed the hose at the Stoneheart's fist. When the pressure got to be too much the cork flew out at incredible speed striking Stoneheart's fist. The pain was unbelievable as if a rocket had struck him. The pressurized water was eroding his fist so quickly he dropped the poem he had written. Chat Noir using his cat like grace slinked over and tore the paper apart releasing the akuma. Ladybeetle dropped the hose and got ready to use her yo-yo, but slipped in the wet grass tumbling to the ground.

The akuma was flying higher almost at escape height when some good luck struck. A tiny piece of the roof, that had already been hanging loosely snapped off falling towards the akuma who turned back to avoid being hit. It didn't have a chance as Ladybeetle yelled "Purification Time." Her yo-yo snatched up the akuma, cleansing it before releasing a normal butterfly.

Throwing the cork in the air she used Miraculous Cleanse to fix the damage all across the city. Chat Noir went over to check on Ivan asking if he was okay. The confused teen nodded. The two heroes shook hands for a job well done. They heard their Miraculouses beeping and promised to talk later as they darted off. Alya appeared upset they didn't stick around for an interview.

If Alya had turned around instead of rushing towards the exit, posting as she dragged Ivan with her, she might have spotted a shadow creeping down from top of the announcer box. Peridot Turtle managed to ease herself off the roof and get a solid grip on the floor. Wiping sweat off her forehead, she headed for an exit.

The Great Guardian's arms were aching. When she had tossed one head of her weapon at the loose roof tile, she hadn't expected it to actually strike it because of the distance and lack of knowledge of how to use the meteor hammer. Her weapon also seemed to have magical properties, as the chain between the two heads lengthened and the head seemed to zero in on the target, striking it despite her horrible throw and aim.

"I have to get home quickly. Ugh but my arms hurt so badly. I don't know if I can swim. Should I try running rooftops? No, not ready for that. Guess swimming it is."

It took her longer to get back to her bedroom then leaving it. At one point she was literally crawling on all fours to get through the sewer system. Tired and beat it took her two tries to use her weapon to pull her back up to the balcony as she climbed down into her room and collapsed on the bed. "Shell Open." The transformation wore off turning her back into her normal self. Wayzz couldn't even float as he fell on her chest.

* * *

Sabine came upstairs to check on Marinette, worried when she didn't hear her daughter anxious footfalls. Entering the room, she saw Marinette in her bed breathing heavily. "Marinette are you okay? You look like you've just run a marathon."

"I'm just a bit tired. Watching those news reports and getting video post from Alya about superheroes and exclusives shocked me. Not as much as learning Alya was literally a foot away from danger and could have been hurt at any time made me have a small panic attack."

"That's to be expected. I hope Alya's parents have a serious talk with her about how lucky she was and that she shouldn't running off to film dangerous situations." Sabine turned to go, but noticed what appeared to be fresh blood on the bandages. "Marinette, did you reopen your wounds?"

Marinette looked at her mama confused before studying her arms. She looked surprised to see the specks of fresh blood. "I don't remember doing anything that would cause this."

"Well you have been helping out a bit more than you should. It's unfortunate that you need your forearms for almost anything. Let's clean the wound and apply some more antibiotic cream before getting you some new bandages." Marinette nodded leaving Wayzz in the bed for a few minutes.

She return a few minutes later and discovered Wayzz in his little fountain pool. His right hand/flipper had a tiny red welt on it. "You're hurt Wayzz! Is there something I can do to heal it?"

Wayzz shook his head. "You aren't trained yet to heal Kwamiis or Miraculous users when transformed like Master Fu was. That is a lesson to advance for now. Just place some cream on it and it should go away overnight." Seeing the unhappy expression on Marinette's face he realized he compared the two and it hurt.

After the welt was treated Wayzz asked her to tell him everything she could about the fight and her observations, including to any difficulties she had in her suit. "Well," the bluenette said in an anxious tone. "I wasn't expecting the shell to be so heavy and the carapace to be so tight. I had a little trouble moving around at first. I found it awkward out of the water. That surprised me, the water features."

"We may not be amphibians, but turtle do inhabit both land and sea. It make sense that you would be given an option for both environments. You should be thankful for the added protection otherwise your injuries would have been much worse than they were," the little turtle commented as he looked at his hand/flipper then at her fresh bandages.

"Uh that's good to know. I was surprised by the modern features on the meteor hammer and how it changes lengths. I'm not really good at it yet. The only thing I did right was get the manhole cover off. Is that normal?"

Wayzz nodded explaining that with time and practice she would master her abilities while transformed and her weapon. He also warned her she would need to be patient and not go past her limits. Figuring those out would be a priority. The bluenette stiffened a bit hearing those words before explaining how she hid and was able to listen the fight while watching it from a distance.

"Black Cat and Ladybug, I mean Chat Noir and Ladybeetle, appeared to be trying to find a rhythm when I started observing them. At first glance it seemed there was none as Chat Noir was being very active and Ladybeetle wasn't sure what to do. Then they proved they had established something with the way they communicated in their first attempt to take out Stoneheart.

They did miss the fact that hitting him caused him to grow which caused them to be separated. Ladybeetle did freeze and was caught, but she used a clever ploy to give Chat Noir time to use his Cataclysm trapping him. I admit that Ladybeetle did take a minute to figure out how to use her Lucky Charm, but her plan worked perfectly. The akuma started to escape and she slipped in the wet grass. Um a piece off the roof fell off and sent the little akuma back towards her so she could purify it.

Ladybeetle used her Miraculous Cleanse and everything went back to normal. The checked on Ivan, shook hands, and left. I think they both trust each other and that this is the start of new friendship. Oh, Ivan was fine after he returned to normal, no memory whatsoever of being a monster. I did notice that he changed from wanting revenge on Kim to going after the Miraculouses after an outline of a butterfly covered his face. Do you think that's related to whoever is abusing Nooroo, I said his name correctly right?"

"Yes, can you give me more specifics about Chat Noir and Ladybeetle please? It's very important and did you help in any way?"

"I…I did use the meteor hammer to knock that tile loose. I didn't want the akuma to escape. You mentioned the other day how that would be bad so I just gave them a little help."

Wayzz said nothing as listened once again about the dynamics of the fight, the way the two heroes acted, he even asked about their costumes. Recalling his observations with Master Fu, he had some idea of what happened when Chat Noir and Ladybeetle first met. He scrunched his face together ignoring the tapping of Marinette's fingers as she anxiously waited for him to speak.

"This new duo needs more work to become partners. Chat Noir, while was encouraging and did great with his power, comes across to excited. He acted before he was sure his partner knew what he was going to do. He might get a little wild as time goes on.

Ladybeetle struggled, which is expected for the first time. However, getting caught and freezing, is not acceptable. She needs to work on her confidence. For someone not a perfect match, she did figure out rather quickly how to use the Lucky Charm. Her costume indicates that she's a gentle person by nature, but is ready to take on challenges."

Marinette nodded understanding how he came to these conclusions. She was about to ask how she could help as the Great Guardian when Wayzz continued by evaluating _her._ "Overall, you did well. You stayed out of sight and observed the activity. You didn't get yourself involved or reveal yourself. The only fault I could find was you causing that tile to fall."

"Bu…bu…but you told me it's bad if an akuma escapes! I was trying to prevent a situation from getting worse!"

"As a Great Guardian you must be able to view all the possible outcomes of a fight. While it would not be ideal for an akuma to escape, you missed a huge opportunity." Wayzz explained patiently. "An escaped akuma that multiplies would have given the new duo a chance to draw strength from one another and push them to not give up if they fail. We might have even drawn out Nooroo's new master. Your impatience might lead to bigger problems down the road."

Marinette looked ready to burst into tears. She had done everything he asked of her and more, and it wasn't good enough for him? Was she really that bad of a Great Guardian? She couldn't miss the Wayzz's eyes would look at the urn and ink drawing. Something inside her snapped.

"I wonder if Mr. Fu would be angry with you on that particular observation." She stormed out of the room heading downstairs angry and unhappy leaving Wayzz to sit in his fountain and wondering about her words. The little kwami looked at the ink drawing almost begging for words of wisdom from his old master.

* * *

 _Instead of being in the safe zone, Marinette found herself back in the dark corridor crying her heart out as she leaned against the steel door. She knew she looked pathetic with her tear stained face and messed up hair. At the moment she didn't care._

 _The dark voice returned, but this time it was softer and amused. "Well seems that you very troubled young lady. Could it be that you're now realizing that it's futile to continue down this path? The little turtle will never be your friend. In fact, if you give him to me, I can make your heartache go away. Then I won't have to kill you."_

 _The darkness once again took a shape, this time it appeared to be trying to take human form. It took a few steps closer when there was flash of light and Marinette gasped. Master Fu was standing in front of her calmly looking at the figure._

" _You believe one upsetting conversation can break a bond between a kwami and their wielder? How foolish have you become? Friendship endures despite the bad times. Now be gone!" A cloud of orange smoke appeared as it wrapped itself around the figure causing it to scream in pain._

 _Marinette found herself being pulled inside the room as the door shut tightly. Flute notes filled the air and a lock appeared on the door. Getting up off the floor she looked at Master Fu. "I'm so grateful for your help Master Fu. I didn't think I'd see your spirit here."_

 _Master Fu had an amused expression on his face. "A spirit of the old man would cause_ _ **him**_ _to back off for a time, but every illusion comes to an end." A cloud of orange smoke rose up from Master Fu's feet covering him completely._

 _When the smoke vanished standing there in front of her was Huli Jing. It was then that Marinette registered the fact that the orange stain glass window was empty. Also the room had changed again. A wooden bench that could sit two people had appeared in the middle of the room. If you sat there then you could see all the different windows from any angle._

" _So you're me right? Why would I trick myself into this room? Why would I even be a Fox? I'm not sneaky, mischief, or manipulating. I wouldn't lie or steal or seduce. I certainly wouldn't be associate with death."_

 _Huli Jing laughed very hard, tears formed in her eyes. She leaned against her flute amused by Marinette's words. "Stereotyping foxes, sometimes you remind me of Tikki. I may be the fourth most version of you, but that doesn't mean I'm heartless. Trixx was wasn't wrong when she mentioned that Turtles can be no fun."_

 _Fourth most version? Does that mean I'm a Fox a fourth of the time? "If what you say is true, then what about a Fox is appealing?"_

 _Huli Jing straightened up her smirk disappearing. "Did you know many cultures believe that the fox tricks and mischief, are actually a sign of greatness? We're warriors who use our brains to solve problems, outwitting our opponents in mind games, instead of physical force._

 _I don't lie, steal, or seduce myself, but past Foxes had to in order to survive. Our enemies do not always give us the luxury to rest or eat, when we're being hunted down. As for death, what is wrong with helping souls find eternal peace?"_

 _Nothing Marinette thought. Outwitting your opponent and survival is important when fighting. "So what are the fox's powers? What do you represent?"_

" _For now, all I can tell you what a fox's purpose is tied to our illusions. They can help someone with an inner struggle. Sometimes our illusions are helpful or hurtful, depending on what that person needs to see. Manipulation is not right, but necessary at times, in order for a person, to see the small picture in front of them."_

 _Huli Jing looked Marinette's eyes silently conveying her thoughts. Wayzz was stuck in an illusion believing he was right to make Marinette follow the same path as Master Fu did. He needed to see that wasn't true._ " _I have to go now, but remember an illusion can help you survive, whether it's avoiding_ _ **him**_ _or seeing through lies well tell ourselves. I recommend reading Inbali Iserles book series Foxcraft, to help you understand better." With a slight bow, Huli Jing sprinted towards her window and jumped once again becoming part of the window._

 _Marinette sat on the bench absorbing all she had seen and heard. Huli Jing had been an interesting person to meet. Her instance that Foxes played an important role in the Miraculouses made her reevaluate everything in her relationship with Wayzz._

* * *

Marinette opened her eyes and sat up in bed. After that dream she was incredibly thirsty. Getting out of bed and only tripping once, she headed downstairs and got a glass of water. She looked down at her Miraculous. It no longer glowed except when it was activated. Right now it was a dull charm like green. An illusion for survival, just as Huli Jing pointed out.

Returning to her room she saw Wayzz sitting in his little bed, his head down in shame. He had spent most of the night up looking at the picture wondering what Master Fu would have said. He finally figured it out in the wee hours of night. "Marinette, I owe you an apology."

The girl raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, careful to not let the bandages rub against one another. "Go on."

"I've been grieving for Master Fu and I didn't realize that I wasn't being a proper kwami. I shouldn't have let my feelings get the better of me."

The teen sat down on her desk and started to draw something in her sketchbook. As she worked she talked out loud to her kwami. "Wayzz, I would never force you to stop grieving. Master Fu was your wielder for a very long time and you had a special bond with him." She paused a moment concentrating on her sketch. "I'm not Master Fu and as much as you try to make me him, it won't bring him back."

She started adding details to the sketch as she continued. "I know we've only been together since last Friday, but in that time you've made me so confused. First, you want me as the Great Guardian, then defend me when the other Kwamiis made a fuss, only to lecture me about how I'm not a Turtle or ready for the responsibilities of the job.

When I do what you asked me to do, with the chest you were happy, but you didn't feel it was necessary to inform me about the deadline to getting the Miraculouses to their chosen wielders. When I came up with clever plans and did my duty you praise me, but later you got upset upon hearing about the first battle.

The worst part was when you said what I did was wrong. That I should have let the akuma escape and hurt innocents. I'm learning the job as I go, but if you keep withholding information or keep saying I'm not ready, then how can I learn to be the Great Guardian?"

She finished her sketch and showed it to Wayzz. It was the two of them, sitting on a bench. Wayzz was sitting in her hands as she smiled brightly. The Turtle Miraculous dangled on her wrist prominently showing the bond between them.

Wayzz understood the message. Their bond was new and fragile. It could grow into something stronger and they could become best of friends. He just had to stop seeing her as Master Fu and see Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

* * *

A short distance away, Mireille was sitting on her bed anxiously. Yesterday's events seemed like an unbelievable dream, but waking up with Tikki proved it wasn't. The little kwami was eating a cookie from the box Marinette had given her. She was lucky that Marinette liked giving treats to her friends. Speaking of good luck, "Tikki, can I control good luck now?"

"Not exactly Mireille. Being Ladybeetle certainly increases your good luck, but you never know when or how long a streak is going to last. Some of your predecessors managed to learn how to control small bits of luck, but that was years after the first received their Miraculous," Tikki explained to her new wielder.

Mireille had to wonder if she had unconsciously had used some luck to cause that roof tile to fall. Without that obstacle she might not have caught the akuma. "Did any of my predecessors freeze up or get captured by the enemy on their first mission?"

Tikki floated over and gave Mireille a smile. "The first time anyone uses their Miraculous nothing goes perfectly. Yes, you froze up and were captured, but by trusting your partner you managed to do your job. You'll get better at this I promise." Hearing this Mireille smiled as she got ready for school.

In the Agreste Mansion, Plagg watched his wielder who was going over a map of his own house. It was nice surprise not have to put up with a love sick teenager longing for half of their sole mate. When Plagg had talked to Adrien last night all he said was that he was happy to be a hero and that he wanted to be the best partner he could be so he could earn his partner's trust.

"Hey Plagg, can you help me please? I need to figure out how to get out of the house and to the school today. I won't miss another week of public school." His kitten, (all Kwamiis had their own little nickname for their charges), was rather determined to get to school.

"You expect me to transform you so you can sneak out of the mansion and get to school right?" Adrien nodded and Plagg laughed, "Look I'm not usually one to explain everything, but I won't let you hurt yourself. Chat Noir should only be active if there's an emergency. Kwami powers tend to have a negative side effect if we're used for selfish reasons."

The blond model hung his head. Plagg might not be Nooroo, but he could read this kid like a book. He wanted his freedom and a chance to have some fun, like any other cat. If Plagg was honest with himself, he only had three great loves. Cheese, napping, and his kittens. "Look Adrien, I can't transform you, but I can help you sneak out by being stealthy. After all, there's a reason cats are so hard to find."

Adrien gave him Cheshire grin and his eyes brightened. Oh he would be in so much trouble for sneaking out and getting caught would mean he would basically be tied to his bed, but it would be worth it if he could get to school and make friends. "Show me how to get in touch with my inner cat Plagg."

* * *

Marinette looked at the school still in a bit of shock that a loveliness of ladybugs could fix so much damage. It was hard to believe that yesterday Ivan had been turned into Stoneheart. Off to the side Ivan was talking to his friends, but Chloe was getting into his face. A few feet away, Mireille looked on, unsure if she should act.

"Hey girl, you wouldn't believe the footage I got yesterday. I was up close and person with our new superheroes Ladybeetle and Chat Noir! I even helped out a bit! You want to see?" Alya asked excitedly not noticing her friend's expression.

"I'll be right back," she told her friend as she walked over to the group. She was going to confront Chloe about her behavior. Inside her purse, Wayzz tensed up. He wasn't sure what would happen next considering Turtles weren't supposed to be confrontational.

"No wonder you turned into a monster you look just like one. I should have my daddy throw you in jail so we're safe from you. In fact, I'll call him right now," Chloe sneered as she brought out her phone. She just about to dial the phone when it was snatched out of her hand.

"That's enough Chloe. The only monster I see is you taking advantage of someone's pain."

"Give that back Maritrash or I promise you I'll make your life a living hell. In fact; why don't I go tell Mr. Damocles you stole my phone and get you suspended for a week?" the blond challenged her. She had a smirk in her eyes as everyone, including her best friend, stared at Marinette like she was crazy. Nobody wanted to get on Chloe's bad side. The threat of her father was enough to get anyone to back off.

Marinette held her ground and remembered what Huli Jing had told her. That illusions could hurt or help a person and that sometimes it was necessary to manipulate it to help others.

"Try it Chloe, I'm not scared of you and neither should anyone else be," the bluenette said keeping her voice calm and steady. "You think you have all this power and that you control our lives, but in truth that's just an illusion. Bullies only have power as long as you let them. In fact, looking at the small picture, you use your daddy as a crutch because you know you don't have any real power."

Chloe started turning red. How dare Maritrash talked down to her like that! She was the most beloved person in the whole city. They all wished they were her and she could treat them like the peasants they were because she was superior to them. "My father will…"

Marinette interrupted her. "Wake up Chloe and start living in reality! If your father continues to do everything you want on a whim, then he'll lose his position as Head Mayor of Paris," she pointed out firmly. Clutching the phone tightly she resumed her elucidation. "The council will not tolerate a man in power being manipulated by his bratty teen daughter. It's unethical and immoral. He'd lose his position and prestige. His reputation would suffer and you can lose everything including your riches."

Marinette then handed Chloe back her phone her eyes daring the blond to call her father. "So go ahead, cry to daddy and get your way. I don't care anymore, because in the long run you'll lose everything, and you'll be left alone wondering, why you have no one by your side." The French Chinese girl walked away leaving her friends stunned before she grabbed Mireille's hand inviting her over to see Alya's footage and get some tips to help get the weather girl spot.

Chloe snarled at Marinette's back. That girl thought she didn't have any power. She would show her! "Kim, I want you to go and get some dirt on her now! Max, if you know what's good for you, you'll hack into the school grading system and fail her now! The rest of you will make her life miserable!"

"No," a male voice said. Red with rage, Chloe turned around and saw Kim standing there definitely with his arms crossed. Next to him Max pushed his glasses up and glared at her. Ivan, Rose, Juleka, and even Mylene stood together like a wall. Only Sabrina stood apart from them, but secretly a part of her wanted to join them.

"Excuse me? Did you just say no to me?! Do I need to remind you who I am?"

"No, Marinette's explanation was pretty informative. After reviewing what she said, we've concluded she is right. You are a bully and have unrealistic view of reality. We're not going to be pushed around and treated with disrespect anymore," Max informed her as everyone nodded.

Chloe looked stunned, no one had ever said that to her before. She was about to raise hell, when the others simply walked away from her not even giving her a glancing look. They were soon joined by a disgusted Alix, a triumphant Nino, and very smug Nathanial, leaving Chloe alone with Sabrina. The heiress was seeing red as Sabrina took a few steps back. Right now, she didn't want to be caught up in Chloe's drama less the blond took it all out on her.

Alya was going on excitedly about how she'd never thought it would be Marinette to stand up to Chloe and put her in her place. "You were like Ladybeetle! Not backing down even when things looked grim."

"Yes Marinette, you were very courageous right now. I wish I could be as courageous as you," Mireille admitted. After watching the bluenette and reviewing the footage of yesterday's fight, the Asian girl was wondering if there had been a mistake with her receiving the earrings.

"To tell you the truth, I was scared the whole time. Even right now my heart is pounding and my mind is trying to figure out where those words came from. If anyone's courageous around here it's you Mireille."

"Me? I don't understand."

"Entering a contest against a thousand other girls is something I could never do. I heard from other how you were courageous enough to find to climb up and get out of the bathroom through the windows when the door was blocked yesterday. You inspired me."

Mireille blushed and smiled happily glowing under the praise. In her backpack, Tikki also glowed at the Great Guardian's words. She knew those were the exact words her wielder needed to hear right now.

The bell rang and everyone headed to class. Most of Ms. Bustier's class let Marinette enter first, with Sabrina whispering to her friend that she should just let this happen one time. By tomorrow, everyone would be back to worshiping her.

* * *

When she entered the classroom, Marinette jumped a little in the air. Sitting in the front row looking very ecstatic, was Adrien Agreste, the boy she had given the Black Cat Miraculous to. He looked up at her and his eyes widen, neither realizing their hearts were starting to beat very fast.

"It's you, the girl from the garden."

"Oh you're the kind boy who helped me out of that flower bush and retrieved my sketchbook. We never did get properly introduced. Marinette Dupain-Cheng," she told him pleasantly holding her hand out. By now others were filing in and looked on curiously at the new student and the way he interacted with Marinette.

"Adrien Agreste. It's nice to meet you properly." His grip was firm yet gentle.

Marinette hated lying, but she needed to make sure he didn't realize she had slipped him the box with the Miraculous inside. Also if she thought about this was her chance to make up for her disastrous first impression. "Agreste? Are you by any chance related to Gabriel Agreste?"

Adrien started rubbing the back of his head and blushed slightly. This girl really didn't know who he was, which was refreshing. "He's my dad and I'm his top model. You didn't know that?"

"I look at the clothes not the models sorry. Welcome to Collège Françoise Dupont." She turned to go to her seat when something barreled over her knocking her towards the ground causing her bandaged arms to scrape against the floor. She let out a cry of pain as her eyes watered.

"Hi Adrien! I've been waiting all week for _**my best friend**_ to get to school. I'll be sure to give you a _**proper introduction**_ to rest of the lower society class later. Now why don't I _**sit**_ with you and show you what public school is all about hmm?"

"Ugh Chloe, I don't think…" Sabrina started to say when Chloe growled at her. "You're right, I can sit with Nino over there at our old seat." The girl meekly walked over, but Nino refuse to get up.

"Get moving Lahiffe, this is my seat now."

"We've been assigned our seats for the year. Mrs. Bustier told you can't steal seats because you feel like it. Now go." Chloe looked ready to argue when Adrien interrupted.

"Chloe, we can hang out later after class. We don't need to sit together. Besides, are you going to help Marinette up?"

Chloe's eyes narrowed and her expression was revulsion. Instead of helping Marinette, she walked over her and "accidentally" kicked her left arm causing Marinette to cry out in pain again. It was clear that Marinette wasn't able to get up on her own with fresh pain running through her body.

Startled by Chloe's actions, Adrien nevertheless acted like a gentlemen. He got out of his seat and helped Marinette up having her lean against him. He whispered, asking if she wanted to go the nurse's office, but she declined, just asking him to help her get to her seat. He made sure she was fine before he sat down.

Ms. Bustier finally came in. She had seen the whole situation from the windows and hadn't intervened. She wanted to see what the other students would do. Seeing her newest student act so kind and caring told her she wouldn't be dealing with another spoiled rich kid who would threaten her job on a daily basis.

"Good morning class. I'm please to introduce our newest student Adrien Agreste to our class. Please help Mr. Agreste as much as you can, he's been home schooled up to this point, and may need some help understanding the public school system."

The class nodded as Ms. Bustier locked eyes with Chloe. "Ms. Bourgeois, it is against student policy to violently attack someone or make injuries worse by inflicting new damage. Don't try to deny it, I saw the whole thing and I'm certain your classmates will be willing to testify to what they witnessed. Now go to the headmaster's office, so Mr. Damocles can call your father, and explain why his daughter is suspended from school for a week."

Chloe couldn't believe the day she was having. First, Marinette told her off followed by the entire class refusing to obey her. Her beloved Adrien finally arrived at school, but that geek Nino refused to give up his seat to his better. Now Ms. Bustier was punishing her for reminding Marinette she held the power not her. No way would Mr. Damocles suspend her. She'd sweet talk him and get Marinette thrown out of school, not knowing that Mr. Damocles was already talking to her father on the phone about her unacceptable behavior.

Inside Marinette's purse Wayzz smiled pleased with his wielder's actions. She had acted like a true Great Guardian standing her ground and protecting others. Her kindness helped reassure Mireille/Ladybeetle she was very courageous and right for the earrings. With Adrien/Chat Noir it was clear a friendship was forming. Not a bad morning for a Great Guardian.

Meanwhile Plagg, who was inside Adrien's bag, was moaning. "I help the kid get out of his mansion and sneak into school and it turns out he's in the same class as Wayzz's wielder. He must have done this on purpose to keep me in line. No fair!" the little kwami tore up the tin with his cheese snack and started munching away, although a bit quieter than normal.

* * *

Adrien had to wonder if every new kid had a great first day of school. After explaining his friendship with Chloe and assuring Sabrina he would never take her place as Chloe's best friend, people seem to relax. Nino was the first to extend his hand in friendship and promised to introduce him to the rest of the class at lunch.

Since he snuck out this morning to get to school, he really hadn't had time to grab everything he needed for class and lost a few things when he was sprinting the last few feet into the school. Some kids lent him notebooks, pens and a couple erasers. Others guided him when they had to switch classrooms with Ms. Mendeleiev students so they could sit through their science and math portions.

The lunch bell sounded as he made his way down the stairs. He flushed slightly as girls from other classes pointed at him and asked for his autograph. When some of them started to pull out their phones, he panicked and ran behind the school dumpster. That's where Nino found him.

"Dude, what's your deal? I thought you be use to this attention. You're a teen boy model. Girls swoon over that kind of stuff," Nino told him.

"I can't let anyone post a picture of me. If they do; my dad's assistance going to be down her faster than you can say dude and remove me from school. She'll even have Gorilla threatened people for letting me in."

Nino pieced together what Adrien wasn't saying and he removed his glasses in astonishment. "Dude, you ran away to _school?_ You understand how weird that is right?"

Adrien nodded and pleaded with the DJ not to turn him in. Promising he wouldn't turn him in, Nino led the kid to the lunch tables their class had grabbed. Passing by Ms. Mendievel's students, the DJ made some hand gestures and the kids nodded. The students at school had their own secret language of hand signs and gestures to get secret messages across, usually something they didn't want the teachers to hear about. Within minutes, every kid would know not to post any photos of Adrien unless they wanted him kicked out of school.

"Yo Nino where was Mr. Model hiding out anyways? Did you want to give us all a glamorous entrance," Kim joked loudly. Alix hit him in the arm giving him a look. "Okay not funny. I'm just trying to make the kid feel welcomed."

"You could do that without sounding like a moron," she pointed out.

Before anyone could get into an argument Ivan stepped between them all, as a reminder of what happened yesterday. The argument stopped before it even started. Pleased with himself, Ivan sat down next to Mylene and smiled at her. She twiddle her fingers nervously and gave him a small smile.

"Listen up people we have a level one SOTR here, so don't overcrowd him. Alya, please put the phone away. No blogs please, my best friend here can't get caught." Rolling her eyes she pocketed the phone. She felt for Adrien, she had been the new kid last week now he was taking her place.

Adrien looked at Nino nervously. "What does SOTR mean?"

"Student on the run. It means we cover for you if there's a teacher bullying you or you need someone to run a distraction while you finish your homework before class begins. In rare occasions it comes with making excuses to others that student doesn't want to interact with." Nino explained and then laughed a bit as the entire class learned Adrien was on the run from his parent for going to school.

"Are you done with the lame jokes or do we have to introduce ourselves?" Alya challenged Nino. He rolled his eyes and muttered he was getting to that. He started pointing out everyone and what defined them.

"So you know Marinette and me obviously so here's everyone else." He started with Alya, "Alya Cesaire, she was new last week, but has already earned the position as head of the school blog."

Adrien shook her hand as Le Chien Kim and Max Kante, introduced themselves. They were best buds despite one being a jock and the other a brain, they got along. Both of them high fived him and going about how cool he was to have snuck out of his house and the probability of not getting caught.

Next was Rose Lavillant and Juleka Couffaine, the class perky pink girl and the shy gothic girl who rocked with make-up. Rose invited Adrien to join the scrap-booking club while Juleka mumbled a hello and that she thought he would look good in black.

Alix Kubdel had shocking pink hair and introduced herself by punching him in the arm saying they were friends now. She was a punk girl who enjoyed rollerblading. In contrast, Mylene Haprele appeared to be a sensitive person yet was very kind and helpful.

Nathaniel Kurtzberg and Ivan Bruel happened to be the class artist and gentle giant. Nathaniel didn't really stand out, but his art was amazing and he enjoyed being involved with his classmates in different activities. Ivan, (who Adrien had met yesterday as Stoneheart), was very different than his akuma form. While he wasn't always interested in what others liked, he would have your back and protected others from harm. You just had to get to know him and he would open up to you.

Sabrina Raincomprix sat at the edge of the group. She wasn't part of the group of friends, but neither was she left out. The main problem was that whenever Sabrina was around Chloe she acted so mousy, meek, and had a very warped sense of loyalty. The few times Sabrina had be alone, the rest of her classmates found her to be nice, compassionate, and eager to try new things. Sabrina looked at the group longingly and Adrien wondered if he could help her get closer to her classmates.

The one that truly stood out to him was Marinette. When he first stumbled into her he thought she was cute, a bit klutzy, yet endearing. Having been told what she had done this morning, he was impressed by her courage. Yet she seemed a bit shy and uncertain. When she looked and talked with him it was like she was trying her hardest not to explode with excitement.

He settled in with his new friends as they all enjoyed lunch swapping stories and asking him about his life. For the first time in a long time, Adrien felt happy and loved.

* * *

It was the end of the school day and everyone was heading home. Everyone that is except Adrien. He really didn't want to go back home yet. He was too terrified about what Nathalie and his father would say when he got back. "Maybe I could patrol the city. Our foe could strike at any time," he muttered to himself.

"That wouldn't count as misusing my Miraculous," Plagg told him. "As long as you get me more Camembert. I think I need a whole wheel to keep you transformed as long as you want to be out," Plagg informed him as he wiped crumbs off his face. "I'm starving down here."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "You just ate the last of the cheese I stored for you. How can you still be hungry?"

"I'm a kwami of destruction. I need a lot of food if I'm going to be destroying billboards or streets." Adrien wanted to argue about that only to stop when he saw Marinette by the crosswalk near her home. She had placed something near it and appeared to be trying to light it. Curious, he walked over towards her.

"Why won't this light? I can't believe I can't do something as simple as lighting incense. I must be the only person with Chinese heritage that can't do a simple tradition."

Someone touched her shoulder causing her to leap up, her foot twisted around and she started falling into the crosswalk. Strong arms caught her and helped her stand up straight. Blinking her eyes, she blushed slightly as she realized who her rescuer was. "Ad ad Adrien. Thanks for the um rescue. Sorry about that. I jumped shouldn't, I mean I shouldn't have jumped when you touched me." Why was it suddenly so hard to talk?

"My fault completely. I shouldn't have startled you," he replied as he wondered why he felt so hot all of a sudden. He looked past her and saw a small incense burner. "What's the incense burner for? Are you honoring someone in your family?"

"Not exactly. On the first day of school, I was trying to get to class on time. While I was waiting to cross the street, an old man, he was named Master Fu, had accidentally started to cross before it was safe. I tried to pull him to safety, but a car accelerated hitting him and sending me crashing to the curb." She held out her arms as it clicked in blond's head where her injuries had come from. Marinette managed to get the rest of the story out without babbling too much. She hadn't had time yesterday to burn incense for Master Fu with all the craziness going around. "I thought it might be light the burner best here. I…oh I mean burn the bes ahhhhhghh!" hanging her head in defeat.

Adrien wondered for a minute if she was flustered because of him seeing her doing something private. No, she's tongue tied because of having so much happen to her in a week. Maybe I should help her he thought. He picked up the burner and took the match from Marinette's hand. He lit the burner and soon they were breathing in the sweet scent of flowers and trees.

The two teens just stood there, holding the burner between them. Marinette's fingers brushed Adrien's feeling a pulse of some kind running through her body. As the same time Adrien leaned in a bit closer to get a better look at the girl's face. There was just something about it that drew him in.

The moment ended, when both Kwamiis shoved themselves against the purse/bag side jolting the two back into reality. "Thank you Adrien. I'll see you tomorrow in class right?"

He muttered something about being in locked down and sneaking out. Marinette felt sorry for him. She knew Gabriel Agreste was the king of designing and fashion, but apparently he wasn't the best parent. Suddenly something seem to take over and she heard herself speaking.

"Sneaking out is only going to work for so long. You'll be in even more trouble than before. Your father is a business man? Why not talk to him like going to school as a business proposal? It might work." She slapped her hand around her mouth and muttered goodbye. She snatched the burner and ran across the street and slamming the door as she raced inside the bakery.

* * *

Instead of doing a patrol, Adrien went home thinking about what Marinette said. Plagg peeked out of the bag. "Are you going to follow your crush's advice?" Adrien sputtered he did not have a crush on Marinette. "Keep telling yourself that kid. I've been around long enough to know the signs. Thanks to Tikki." He muttered that last part.

The mansion came into sight. He could sneak back in and get to his bedroom and lock it. That would put off his punishment for at least another day. All he had to do was find that weak spot in the wall and move a few bricks to get back in the yard. Then hug the wall until he reached the garage and jimmied open the window. He would pull himself in and down. He'd go through the door and immediately take a left, hiding in the old pantry counting down as the Gorilla did his rounds. Once it was safe, he would dart for the kitchen and take the old servants staircase up to the second floor to a storage closet. After that it was just a matter of avoiding the cameras until he was in his room again.

"What are you waiting for? You don't want to be a caged cat right?" Plagg hissed. He had not helped his kitten escape this morning to become trapped in that gilded cage. Sure it had nice things and never ending supply of cheese, but Plagg knew from past experience the dangers of keeping a Black Cat locked up. He shivered at the memories. He could never forget the smell of blood.

Adrien told Plagg to get down. He walked up to the front gate and stood there in sight of the camera. The gates swung open as he walked towards the front door. He opened the door and saw the Gorilla standing to the right. Nathalie stood near the base of the stairs, her eyes wide and standing two stairs up was a frowning Gabriel Agreste.

"Adrien, where have you been? We've been worried about you," Nathalie scolded him. "Do you realize the amount of stress you caused us? I had to reschedule three lessons because of your absence."

"I'm sorry about that Nathalie," Adrien said before turning to the Gorilla apologizing for sneaking out and he hoped that he hadn't lost his job. The Gorilla grunted indicating he hadn't. He then locked eyes with his father.

"Adrien, you haven't answered our questions. You will tell us where you have been and make up those lessons by working an extra hour on each. You will not be leaving this mansion again without an escort. Most importantly, I wish to know how you got out undetected. It's a security risk."

"I was at school Father, where I am _supposed_ to be on weekdays. I'm sorry for missing the lessons, but I believe my studies take precedent over learning to play perfect piano or Chinese lessons."

He paused for a moment figuring out the right words to say. "My new _friends_ would be happy to escort me from home to school. They had no trouble doing it today. I'm sure Nino, my _best friend_ , wouldn't mind spending time with me. As for how I got out, I'm not saying."

Nathalie and the Gorilla took a few steps back. They had never seen Adrien act rebelliously before. He was always obedient, respectful, and lastly, proper. To see him being deviant, challenging, and fierce was something nobody saw happening. It was obvious to Adrien he was tapping into the cat traits thanks to the Miraculous.

"You refuse to answer my questions? May I remind you Adrien, that I am your father, which means you do what I tell you to do and never disrespect me? I ordered you stay home and forget about public school. I want to keep you safe."

"Safe should not equate to prisoner. Son doesn't translate into employee or slave. After yesterday, do you really think walls and gates are going to stop monsters? I doubt yesterday was a onetime incident." Inside the bag, Plagg was silently encouraging his kitten to keep going.

"You're a business man and a fashion celebrity. I have a proposal for you that will make us both happy. If you hear me out, I will tell you how I got out." Staring at his father, he had to admit that he never seen his father so gobsmacked before. This was this first time Adrien had used his father own tactics against him.

Gabriel would never admit he was impressed by his son's actions. From the hints he had dropped before he was making it very clear that he had allies who would fight for him. That he was prepared to do anything for a chance at the freedom he desired. Yet, he was also willing to compromise and give away his trump card. This conversation would be very interesting indeed. "You two are dismissed. It seems my son and I have a business proposal to go over."

Both employees looked at each other with identical expressions of disbelief as they watched father and son head upstairs to the eldest office. Both pinched themselves wondering if this was a dream. When they felt the pain they knew it wasn't and wondered what would happen next.

* * *

In Mireille's room, Tikki was hiding under her chosen's pillows as Mireille talked with her mother about a letter she had gotten from the KIDZ+ studio. "I've made it to the top six contestants. We're each going to get a chance to do a mock broadcast next week. The judges will review them, and then the top two will be invited for a final broadcast win."

"That's very exciting my dear and I'm positive you'll do well in the mock broadcast. I know you can win the whole thing dear, I believe in you!" her mother told her daughter. "Don't you believe it?"

"Of course I do, I've made it this far. It's just Aurore also made it the finals. I'm worried about what will happen if we compete against one another," the girl stressed to her mother.

Mireille and Aurore Beauréal had been practically best friends until the second half of last school year. It wasn't obvious at first. A few phone calls missed or excuse while she couldn't come hang out. Then Aurore started avoiding Mireille or when they were together, she acted a bit arrogant and was very prideful of her appearance and grades.

Eventually Aurore stopped coming over or inviting Mireille to do activities with her. She didn't know what had changed, but she was hoping that one day they could become best friends again.

Her mother tutted unhappily hearing that name. "You shouldn't be thinking about that. Aurore made her choices and has to live with the consequences. If she can't see how wonderful you are, then she clearly wasn't a real friend."

When her mother left Tikki came out of hiding. "Are you okay Mireille? You seem very sad and upset by the way your mother talked about your old friend."

"I don't know what changed between us. Still, I can't think about that right now can I?" Tikki shook her head and told Mireille she needed to focus on staying positive and optimistic at all times. The enemy, whoever he was, would strike again soon enough.

* * *

The next two and half weeks were interesting because the enemy did strike again several times. The second time he struck, he akumatized an opera singer who had just been replaced by her alternate for opening night at the Palais Garnier. She became a monster known as Shatter Mistress, because every time she sang, her voice would hit perfect pitch shattering anything in its path.

It was during this fight that the enemy revealed himself when hundreds of akumas flew out of her mouth forming the face of the enemy, a villain calling himself Hawkmoth who wanted the duo's Miraculouses or he would continue to terrorize the city.

Peridot Turtle, who had been hiding in the river near the Eiffel Tower, forced herself to stay put as she observed how Chat Noir inspired Ladybeetle to not give up and in turn reminded him that he was her partner, not a side kick. Together they defeat the akumas and saved the opera singer.

That's how it went for the first few times. An Akuma would appear, Chat Noir and Ladybeetle, would go after it and eventually stop it, getting faster and faster as they learned to work at as a team and become more use to their power. Unknown to anyone, Peridot Turtle would be hidden watching them. She only helped two other times. Once, when Chat Noir got his tail caught in a fence, she freed it. The second time, Ladybeetle dropped her Lucky Charm, and she rolled it back to her.

It was the night before Marinette had promised to babysit Manon, turning down Adrien's offer to watch his photo shoot in the park. After his talk with his father, Adrien was given permission to attend public school as long as he kept up with his model duties and lessons. He was also allowed to go out with his friends as long as there were two of them escorting him at all times.

The last rule had been the deal breaker. His classmates became a focus group for the _Gabriel_ brand. They would be filling out surveys or explaining what kind of clothes they needed for their different interests. He sometimes brought a few prototypes, unfinished pieces, with him for his classmates to try on and see how they liked them. None of them complained about it, they all wanted their new friend to stay in school with them.

The little family had gathered in the bathroom. Today the bandages would come off for good. Marinette was unwrapping the final bandage on her right arm. "Moment of truth, do I have any scaring." As the last bandage fell off, they all let out a sigh of relief. Her skin was perfectly normal without any scaring.

"Check the left one now," her father insisted. Again Marinette slowly unwrapped the bandages and pleased when she saw normal skin without scaring. "No scaring at all, that's wonderful isn't it?"

"It is indeed. At least you'll be able to keep up with Manon without trouble tomorrow,"" Sabine added.

Marinette started playing with her fingers, a behavior that signaled she was nervous about something. Her mother asked her what was going through her mind. Did she think she couldn't handle babysitting Manon? She had done it before.

"It's not that. I know I've watched her before. That was before I inherited a one of a kind turtle for a pet. Manon is very grabby and isn't the most gentle of children. I don't want her to be bothering Wayzz or hurt him."

That was a problem. Marinette took her responsibility of caring for Wayzz very seriously. Since the small incident with him escaping to the bakery, nothing bad had happened. When Manon was over, Marinette would usually bring her up to her bedroom to play or make stuff. Telling the little girl the bedroom was off limits would only spur her on to get in.

Tom came up with a solution. "You could move Wayzz's things into our bedroom before Manon arrives. She never goes in there. I'm sure Wayzz wouldn't mind." It was a good idea and Wayzz did need a day off. It had been exhausting holding her transformation for hours as she observed the hero duo or practice her abilities.

The next day, Wayzz was safely tucked away in her parents' room and Manon arrived bursting with energy. From the start, she was super energetic and Marinette found herself getting tired out just trying to keep up. "Please Manon, no jumping on the furniture you're going to break it."

"Can't catch me, I'm Ladybeetle!" Manon shouted in delight as she jumped off the couch and ducked into the kitchen area. Marinette tried to grab her only to have the little girl to roll through her legs. Manon laughed at Marinette and headed up to the teen's room. "Try to find me!"

"Manon wait!" Marinette raced upstairs silently thanking her father for his idea. Over the course of the next few hours. Manon continued to evade capture, use Marinette's phone to vote for Mireille and nearly went up to the balcony. When the doorbell rang Marinette's hope was that Manon's mom had finished early.

When she opened the door, her face frowned. "Hi Alya, what brings you here today?"

Alya raised her eyebrow and looked at her best friend as she had rocks for brains. "What are you doing here instead of at the park? Adrien's photo shoot is almost halfway over. You should be strutting your foxy self over there."

"Alya! Not in front of Manon," the girl hissed as she held a squirming Manon in place. "Calm down young lady pretty please?"

"I don't want to and who is this crazy looking lady?" Manon pouted angrily. Alya swooped in telling Manon she was a unicorn princess turned human who had come to play with her. In fact she had a great idea, they should all go to the park and have fun together.

Manon was hopping up and down excitedly. She really wanted to go to the park to day. She could get a balloon, ride the carousal or maybe get some ice cream, play tag. Maybe she even figure out what the older girls were talking about! "Please pretty please Marinette. I promise to behave and do whatever you say!" She joined Alya in giving Marinette the cute puppy eyes and she gave in.

"Alright we can go to the park. I need to grab a few things. Manon, can you stay with Alya for a few minutes?" The little girl nodded as she started chattering with Alya. Neither noticed Marinette slipping into her parents' room to get Wayzz or that she slipped a few snacks into her mini purse.

* * *

At the park Adrien was trying to give his photographer Vincent the look he wanted, but the man kept saying he was doing it all wrong. "To tense and why are you stretching like tourist on a beach? You're eyes are pouty, I need excitement and happiness." Vincent moaned even more when he usual prompt of about a mom cooking spaghetti still didn't get the response he wanted. He told Adrien to take five.

Adrien got a drink of water contemplating why he couldn't pose properly today. He thought about his partner Ladybeetle. They had a pretty good partnership and they were slowly trusting one another with their civilian lives. Ladybeetle had told him she had a personal thing that would take up most her day. He understood, after all he was working today. Hopefully Hawkmoth wouldn't release an akuma today.

"Manon stop dragging me!" a familiar voice cried out. His head looked up and a true smile appeared on his face. Marinette was being dragged towards the balloon vendor by an adorable little girl and Alya was filming the whole thing and teasing her best friend about posting it on the school blog.

"Alright, here's your balloon, let me tie it to your wrist," Marinette was telling the little girl. When the little girl was struggling to stand still she spied the turtle charm bracelet the teen girl always seemed to wear. As she grabbed for it Marinette slammed her hand over it and fell on her butt.

Pretending to not notice the Gorilla and Vincent watching him, he walked over and held out his hand to help her up. "Are you always this clumsy or is it just in parks?"

"I'm clumsy throughout the day. It's not like I could be a model graceful, oh I mean gracdelo oh!" Alya and Manon shared a look. It was obvious Marinette had a crush on Adrien. When Adrien joked about how they should untie her tongue both teens laughed before looking away.

Vincent liked what he saw and knew he had to take advantage of it. "Adrien, come back here and bring your friends! I have a new vision. The ladies are welcomed to join and that adorable little child will make the whole picture complete!"

The group went over to the photographer. Marinette was about to explain why she couldn't let Manon be photographed only to have said child plead. "My mom's always on TV! I want to be in a magazine. Please?" Marinette only agreed if the photographer would talk to Mrs. Chamack before printing them. A few minutes later everyone was prepared for the shoot.

"Now just act natural! Glasses, look up a bit. Pigtails relax those shoulders. Little girl lean in between them. Yes, that is a good look. Now smile!" The camera flashed several times with Vincent going on about how much he loved this. They kept changing up the poses.

They had set up for the last shot of the day. Marinette was standing in the middle Adrien and Alya on either side with Manon in her arms. The sky was beautiful and temperature was perfect. Vincent was fiddling with his camera making sure he got the best shot, when Marinette sensed something was wrong.

Something cold and hurt/angey was coming closer. She had to act fast. Transferring Manon into Alya's arms she shoved her best friend hard to the right, just out of range of the fountain. Swiftly turning on her heel she threw Adrien into Vincent. The Gorilla took one step closer as Marinette shouted, "Get back!"

A flash of lighting and a swirling storm of ice wrapped around the fountain until it was completely encased in ice with Marinette trapped inside. Laughter was coming from the sky as they all looked up and saw Stormy Weather laughing. "I was aiming for kid's balloon, but having one of Mireille's friends under ice is perfect too. Maybe they'll cut you out in time unlike poor Mireille. Well I'm off to create more Stormy Weather! Ha ha!"

Adrien ran to the ice and tried busting it with his hand only to fall back when he realized how cold it was. Manon was crying and Alya was trying to calm her down. Vincent was already calling for emergency help, but so many people were getting trapped by Stormy Weather's powers, he wasn't getting through.

Marinette could hear them talking. She was already freezing and looked at her purse in worry. What if Wayzz got sick from the cold? Adrien was just standing there when he needed to go after Stormy Weather and possibly free his partner from trouble.

"Listen to me, can any of you hear me?" she bellowed. They nodded as she took a deep breath. She had to act like a Guardian. "Look there's nothing any of you can do to help me. This ice isn't going to melt until Stormy Weather is defeated."

Adrien tensed and looked like he wanted to slap himself up the head. He needed to transform, but at the same time the thought of leaving Marinette behind was killing him. "Adrien, you need to get to somewhere safe. It's too dangerous for you to be on the street. Hide somewhere."

Turning to the bodyguard and photographer she urged them to get as much equipment away before it was destroyed, not wanting all their hard work to be erased.

The hardest part was telling Alya to take Manon and hide in the bakery until the danger had passed. Of course the teen wanted to argue, but Marinette was adamant. Their safety was more important. With a final bellow the others did as she asked.

A few minutes later she was alone under the ice. Already she was feeling very tired and cold was zapping her strength. She was entering hypothermia at a faster rate then a normal human. "Way…zz...can you hear me?"

Slowly the purse opened and Wayzz stuck his head out. He looked at his wielder and could sense through their bond, her Turtle nature was taking over too fast to transform. He was also fighting the cold, it had been decades since he and Fu had been in a situation like this. "Marinette…you…need…to activate Hiber….nation. It's the only….way…to survive."

"How, I'm so tired. I can't feel my own body heat. Why is this happening…to me?" she whispered. Her Miraculous started to glow again. It was blinking in a strange pattern. Taking a chance she started tapping the bracelet sections in the exact pattern. She lost consciousness at that point as a greenish yellow aura enveloped her and Wayzz, slowing everything down until they entered true hibernation.

* * *

 _Marinette drifted in darkness wondering where she was. Her eyes felt so heavy and she wanted to sleep forever, but she could hear a faint female voice calling to her._

" _Live Great Guardian. I need your help," the voice called out faintly._

" _H…elp?" Marinette croaked out. "Who are…you? How did you know I'm the Great Guardian?"_

" _You woke me up remember? I connected with you long distance, but it isn't until now you could hear me. It is your duty to find me and bring me home. I'm counting on you Great Guardian." The female voice vanished into the darkness._

 _Patches of light appeared containing different scenes. She saw a young Master Fu with a beautiful lady. Another patch of light showed a figure dressed as peacock, but it was too blurry to see if it was a man or woman. Another patch of light showed a collar with indigo and brown jewels on it. Finally the light encompassed her as she felt herself being tugged back to reality._

Marinette opened her eyes and immediately wished she hadn't. There were bright lights above her making her head hurt. "Turn off the lights," she moaned.

"She's awake! Marinette are you okay honey? Can you hear me?" she heard her mom talking rather loudly. She felt her father's warmth as he gave her a hug before he was brushed aside. Thankfully the lights had been dimmed.

Blinking a few times, she was surprised when she saw the ICU nurse Florence checking her vitals. "Hello Marinette, how are you feeling?"

"Tired and it's too warm in here. Can I have something to eat please?"

"Maybe a little later, you're one lucky girl. You had the worst case of hypothermia I've ever seen. When the paramedics brought you in to the ER, we all thought you might not make it, but then you gave our doctors quite a fright."

"How did I…do…that?"

"Because when they examined you, they couldn't believe that your body had somehow entered into a hibernation state. Everything had slowed down to the point of near death. By the time they finished your vitals were reversing themselves indicating that you were waking up."

"You've been asleep for a little over a day. The doctors wanted to make sure you came out of this naturally, fearing that if you woke too fast, your body would go in shock," Tom informed his daughter.

Sabine added that Chat Noir and Ladybeetle had come to check in on her to make sure she was recovering from her ordeal. Even the girl who had been akumatized came and apologized. She didn't remember what she had done as Stormy Weather, however she still thought it was the right thing to apologize.

The best news was hearing that Alya and Manon had heeded her commands and stayed safe. After a few more hugs Florence told Marinette to get some rest. If her vitals stayed normal she might be released from the ICU and be back home in a few days.

Marinette got as comfortable as she could, but was worried. "Wayzz, are you here?" she whispered. She looked around and couldn't see her purse anywhere. Just then something green zipped out of bag containing her clothes. She was startled to find Wayzz nuzzling her neck.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I didn't think that the ice would trigger a sever reaction of traits, at least not now when we're still learning about each other," he whispered to her.

Marinette was happy he was okay too. She was puzzled by something. "I thought you told me my power was Shell Guard, what's Hibernation?"

"An advance power that should only be used in emergencies and if you have enough experience to handle it," Wayzz explained quietly. He floated in front of her and started rubbing his arms. "As you know this is the first time a Great Guardian has been chosen who never had any type of apprenticeship. Normally you would have undergone seven years of training. Learning about basics to healing techniques and meditation exercises, to finally carrying out missions."

"I know I have a lot to learn Wayzz. I'm only at the starting line. Together though we can reach the finish line as long as we keep a steady pace." Wayzz nodded as he once again curled up next to her neck.

"In fact, maybe you could help me understand something right now. I heard a female voice calling to me when I was asleep. She said I awoken her and that it was my duty to help her."

"It must have been Dussu, besides Nooroo, she was the only one that was missing from the chest. Many years ago, Master Fu gave her to a wielder because she was needed. Instead of returning her after she was no longer needed the wielder kept her and disappeared. We've, I mean Master Fu and I, looked for her, but with little success."

"So if I can hear her and all the other Miraculouses are in Paris, there's a good possibility she's somewhere in the city." Wayzz nodded and said it was important that they retrieve her before someone found her and abused her like Nooroo was.

Chat Noir and Ladybeetle could handle the akumas and defeat Hawkmoth while rescuing Nooroo. Her mission was to find Dussu and her Miraculous and bring her home safely.


	4. Heroine now Mentor

_**This story follows the original French episode line because it was the original one, just to clear up the episodes mentioned or written out in the story.**_

* * *

It was three weeks later and Marinette was in her room with Alya going over her idea for her inheritance. Alya still couldn't believe that her best friend had inherited a building, huge bank accounts, and whole lot of interesting items for being such a kind person. It was true kindness would be its own rewarded, but she didn't understand why her best friends barely touched any of it.

"So girl, when are you going to spend some of that money you got? You could totally show Chloe up if you came in school with designer clothes and lots of bling. I'm sure you can convince Adrien to help you. He is so into you."

"Alya, please stop teasing me. You know I don't like it," Marinette pleaded with her. She was at the desk finishing up her sketch while Alya lounged around on the chaise. She blushed at the thought of Adrien thinking about her.

Before Alya came over, she had hidden Wayzz's stuff in a bottom drawer of her vanity and the turtle Kwamii was hiding under her stuff cat pillow. While the kwami had agreed that they had no choice, but to let her parents know he existed, he had insisted that no one else know about his presence, knowing that others might see through his supposed disguise. Her parents didn't need much convincing as they believed him to be the last of his kind and didn't want collectors or illegal chiefs to cook/buy him.

"You don't like me mentioning Adrien or you don't want me telling people you got some serious cash? Is it both?" Alya leaned forward in the chaise waiting for an answer.

"It's both, I mean neither, what I mean to say is ohh! You had to go and make me tongue tied? For the last time, Adrien and I, are just friends! As for the money, I'm being responsible with it."

"How did Mr. Fu save up so much money anyways?"

"I don't know, but it's a lot of money. Technically, I'm in the same social class as Adrien or Chloe, with the money I have, I'm at the bottom of that class, but I'm not going to flaunt it. One account alone is going to cover the cost of attending university once I finish with my schooling."

"Free schooling yeah!" Alya fake cheered. Seriously, it was cool that Marinette would be able to attend the fashion school of her dreams without breaking the bank. Still, Alya couldn't believe that her friend wasn't even dipping into her new accounts to get something flashy to show off. For a girl who stood up to Chloe she really seemed to have a self esteem problem.

The bluenette sighed again. Alya was a wonderful and dependable friend. In her mind the truth was everything and if you had an enemy you showed them up to put them in their place. Marinette however decided not to stoop to Chloe's level. Instead she focused on her design wanting to finish as soon as possible so she could get some feedback on her idea. While she did that Alya decided to record for her LadyNoir blog.

When she first started out she called it Ladyblog. She had been so happy when the real Ladybeetle left a comment, she almost forgot to read it. Ladybeetle had told her that while she was flattered by blog, she didn't want it to be all about her. She was one half of a duo, her partner was an equal and deserved recognition too. So Alya had amended the blog and both heroes seemed pleased.

"Listen up fans, I have a great idea to improve the blog. My friend Marinette here is sketching a headquarters for the duo," she improvised. In the background Marinette was protesting loudly that wasn't what she was doing and tried to grab the phone.

Alya danced away laughing. "So if you could design a headquarters for our duo what would it look like? Post your art on the LadyNoir blog and we'll vote on the winner. Later!" She turned off her phone and smiled innocently. "You've inspired other artists. Now how do you feel?"

Marinette put her hands on her hips and let out a growl of frustration. Honestly, Alya took things too far sometimes. Even being grounded after chasing after Stoneheart hadn't kept her from sneaking out to film the action. "You're impossible sometimes. I swear if you ever got to be a hero, you get so into it you forget everything else."

* * *

Grabbing her finished sketchbook she headed downstairs to the living room where her parents were enjoying a nice lunch. They looked up when their daughter told them she had finally figured out what she wanted to do with the stuff she inherited. Alya was also listening closely.

"I've decided to turn the building into my own private residence/design studio/store. I sketched out each part of the project," Marinette explained as she showed them the building as it was now along with a list of costs and notes about what needed to happen at each stage.

"I'm going to keep the massage/spa for now and hire someone to run it. With this I can not only generate some income, I can invest some of the profits into my bank accounts to help them grow."

Flipping the page she showed them how she planned over the next few years to slowly renovate the property. She'd be keeping the original facade, but updating the existing interior, such as a new lighting system, stronger and environmentally safe pipes, even painting the walls.

During her university years she planned on living in the second floor residence. She was putting the more valuable furniture pieces in a special storage unit to preserve them. She'd keep a lot of the valuables, but there were a few things that she planned to sell or donate to help her cover some costs of making the residence her style.

While she was living there, she would start on creating her own fashion studio on the top floor, which would have everything she would need to make her designs. The second floor would also be slightly changed allowing for a few rooms for interns to live in while working upstairs.

The final change would happen shortly after graduation. She set up her store and move the massage/spa across the hall to continue getting extra funds. The remaining rooms would be converted to an employee lounge, a classroom for teaching young students how to sew or knit, storage and a small office.

"With careful investments, researching the best people for the job, and some help, by the time I'm twenty five I'll have everything I need to create my own label. I know it's a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end." Looking up at her parents her eyes silently asked what they thought.

"Hmm, it will be a long project and a lot can happen over the years. You understand that things could fall through, there will be some setbacks, and you'll need to a lot of guidance when it comes to running a business and keeping your employees happy," Tom reminded her daughter. "Do you think you can stick with this project and not quit when it gets tough?"

"I've never given up on anything, once I set my mind to it. This has been my dream since I was a little girl. I can do this."

"Then we'll support you the whole way. Any problems or questions you might have, we'll be right here to make sure your dream becomes reality." Marinette hugged her parents happy to hear that. Alya took a picture promising to give them a copy once she posted a copy on the school blog.

The Dupain-Chengs laughed as they watched their daughter chase after her best friend trying to get the phone back. Who knew how far that friendship would go? One day Alya might be covering Marinette's grand opening.

* * *

 _When Marinette appeared in the room she slipped on the floor when she went to the check the door. Something gooey and thick was attached to her shoe. Struggling up she couldn't believe what she saw. "Honey? What is honey doing here?" Standing up she saw that the tiny cracks in the door frame and the bottom of the door had been sealed with honey._

 _She went over to the bench and sat down wondering how she was going to clean her shoe. She reached into her pocket and was surprised to find a damp cloth. Shrugging her shoulders she cleaned the honey off the shoe._

 _Slipping her shoe back on, she looked towards the yellow stain glass window. She wasn't surprise when she saw Abeille Jaune was not in there. "Where am I, no I mean where are we, no she, where is she?" Finding honey clearly meant she was somewhere in this room, but she couldn't see her anywhere._

 _There was a slight buzzing sound above her and she looked up. Her eyes widen and her jaw dropped. Abeille Jaune was hovering in the air, a set of bee wings attached to her back. Somehow was transforming globs of honey into paint as she decorated the ceiling. Satisfied, she backed out of the way to get a good look at her masterpiece._

 _For the first time you could see the ceiling to the room. It was shaped like an octagon, but the slightly raised to create a dome with a central point where the lights gathered together to illuminating the room. Each panel showed a past Miraculous user wielding their weapons at an unseen foe. Her eyes immediately latched onto the Turtle, it was Master Fu only much younger._

 _His costume was similar to hers. It kinda of reminded her of the armor that Mulan wore in the movie, but thicker and stronger. He also had a skull cap that connected to the mask. His face had a grim expression on it, completely different than the one she remembered._

 _The other Miraculous users' costumes were different than the ones her stain glassed copies wore or what Ladybeetle, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth looked like. They all looked as if they came from a different century and the styles looked to be from different countries._

 _"Amazing isn't it?" Abeille Jaune whispered in Marinette's ear causing the girl to fall off the bench. "Sorry, I should remember how jumpy we get when someone surprises us. You okay?"_

 _"Yeah, what's with all the honey anyways? You stuck it on the door and somehow you turned it into paint. Was it because Hawkmoth was here? I mean that's the_ _ **he**_ _you keep refereeing to right?"_

 _Abeille Jaune shook her head. She looked at the door frowning. From the way she moved Marinette could finally appreciate the costume. The black accents helped elongate her legs, made her waist look more natural, and help show off her arms. The black accents helped give her bust support, but not drawing attention to herself. The real gem was the comb that made her bun beautiful._

 _"Hawkmoth is nothing except a child throwing a tantrum because he was told he couldn't play with a toy. If he met_ _ **him;**_ _Hawkmoth would run away with his coattails tucked between his legs. Did you know people associate bee's with immortality because our honey lasts forever?"_

 _Marinette shook her head. She listened as Abeille Jaune told her how Egyptian royalty would be buried with the stuff and it was still edible thousands of years later. With its preserving properties she had used it to make sure_ _ **he**_ _didn't slip inside. "Oh, I must apologize for Pollen's behavior. She takes her role very seriously, lucky you only have to deal with her a fifth of the time."_

 _A fifth of a time interesting. Why only a fifth and is it connected to the mysterious_ _ **He**_ _they keep mentioning. Is the mural connected to it? Every time I come here somethings different. Are they trying to tell me something?_

" _Are you going to dance around the truth with me like Huli Jing did? She wouldn't even tell me what her Miraculous's purpose was or what her special power was."_

 _Abeille Jaune wagged a finger, "No, like a clever fox, she told you the truth through a riddle. For a Bee, we're can be intimidating, yet it our Miraculous that works on the principles of Community and Loyalty."_

 _"Community, I get, but Loyalty? I thought your other thing would be hard work or duty, maybe even female power."_

 _"Building a community is hard work, whether you're a male or female. Duty is important. For it to mean something, you have to be loyal to your community no matter whose part of it. My special power is based on that principle" With a flick of the wrist, the battle top came off the string cleaning up any spots of dropped honey before coming back to her._

 _Abeille Jaune stood up and started walking to her window again. Her time was nearly up, but she still had to pass a few words of wisdom to herself. She turned and stood straight. "I know what you're thinking and you're right. Everything is connected; this place, all of us, and_ _ **him**_ _. You need a few more pieces to put it all together. Be careful Marinette." She stepped back into her window as Marinette found herself covered in honey sending her back to the real world._

* * *

Marinette woke up and fell out of her chaise on to the floor. Wayzz was hovering over her looking amused. "Do you ever get out of bed without something happening?"

Marinette glared at the kwami before laughing and the turtle joined her. She was hesitant to tell him about the dreams, especially since the other versions of herself warned her she wasn't ready for the truth. She needed a few more pieces before she could ask for the truth.

"So what did you think of my plan for your old home? You're not upset that I want to turn it into a design studio/store one day are you?"

Wayzz shook his head. "When you have lived millenniums you learn that change happens all the time." He looked sad for a minute. "Master Fu and I did spend many years together there and it would make me happy to live there again one day. Kwamiis take pride in helping their chosen make their dreams come true."

"Thanks. So I need to get ready for school. Why don't you decided on our training schedule and where we should start looking for Duusu?" Wayzz nodded as Marinette, who once again found herself slowing down, got ready for school. If it's one trait I'm glad she inherited from me, it's that she slows down and takes her time now. It helps her know when she needs to sleep and wake up to be on time for school.

He floated down to the desk, picked up a pencil, and started to set up a schedule for training. Now that Peridot Turtle wasn't needed to observe every battle, they could work on Marinette becoming a true Great Guardian. Each day of the week would be dedicated to one area of study she would have done over the course of a seven year apprenticeship.

"Let's see, Sunday would be good chance to learn to meditate and connect with her spirituality. Monday can be history lessons, oh I think Tuesday would be a great chance for understanding Kwamiis and Miraculouses," he said to himself as he jotted that down.

"Learning healing techniques would make Wednesday more tolerable. Thursday, tough call, but I think Marinette would agree learning more about her responsibilities and special abilities as a Great Guardian will be more tolerable if Friday is the day we work on her skills while transformed.

That leaves Saturday for her mission to find Duusu, but we can research during the week."

Just then the trapdoor to the room opened and it was Sabine. Instantly he dropped the pencil and got on all fours. He looked up at Sabine trying to be as turtle like as possible. Pretending to be a real turtle was hard when you didn't have a beak mouth.

"Good morning Wayzz, Marinette's taking a bit longer than usual to get down with shower. I thought I help her out today by taking care of your needs." Sabine's hands smelled like lavender soap, you always need to wash your hands before handling a turtle, to make sure you don't spread germs to them.

Sabine carefully cleaned his shell checking for signs of infection. The water in his small fountain was changed. Reaching under the desk, she pulled out the terrarium Marinette had bought last week, but hadn't yet set up. A few minutes later Wayzz was in a comfortable new home after a nice misting session. He even had bowl full of baby carrots, some lettuce, and a few dead crickets to eat.

"There all taken care off and I've adjusted your UV light so the temperature isn't too hot today. Have fun exercising Wayzz." Sabine left the room just as her daughter was coming up the stairs to grab her school things. "I've taken care of his needs for today. You really should have set up that terrarium last week."

"I know, I promise to do better. Thanks Mama." Grabbing her stuff she looked at Wayzz, who was enjoying his breakfast, except for the crickets, he was a total vegetarian. "Maybe you should stay here today instead of coming with me to school. You haven't had a day off since we bonded."

"My duty is to be with you. I don't need all these creature comforts. They are nice and it has been some time since I got to sunbathe…"

"Stay here okay? You need some time off. I can handle being on my own at school for one day." Wayzz could tell that she was being sincere and it would be nice to have a day of rest. Okay, he could rest for one day. He nodded and flopped on a tiny log to sunbathe.

* * *

When Marinette arrived at school, she started looking for Adrien and Mireille automatically. It was a habit that she had picked up seeing how she was supposed to be their mentor in secret for now.

In one corner of the courtyard she spotted Mireille laughing at a joke Aurore was telling her. After the Stormy Weather incident the two girls made up. It turned out Aurore was envious of Mireille being so popular, smart, and kind. Aurore's parents kept telling her to be more like Mireille and she couldn't take the pressure. Marinette suspected Tikki was very happy for her chosen.

Adrien was frantically trying to finish a paper due for literature class and Nino was trying run interference for him. Chloe was standing there demanding that she be allowed to speak to her Adrikens and Nino was refusing to let her near his best bud until the poor kid finished his homework.

"Listen up you fashion challenged nerd. I know for a fact that Adrien's father asked him to hand out prototypes for his upcoming accessories line and since I'm Adrien oldest friend, I want mine now."

"That's nice Chloe, but as his oldest friend, don't you think you should be considerate to _his_ needs? Dude had to work all weekend and take a double piano lesson. He barely had time to get through his homework and needs to finish that paper before class starts."

Chloe moaned out loud. Adrien was far too important to be doing something as silly as homework. He should just force Nino to do it all. That's what best friends like Sabrina did, for the superiors. She opened her mouth to suggest that only for Adrien finally stop writing, finished at last.

"Hey Sabrina, can you check over the last two pages for grammar errors please? I had to rush them and I need to know if there's something I need to fix."

"Um sure, just give me a second." Adjusting her glasses she checked over the paper scanning for any issues. "You misspelled a few words and missed a semicolon." She handed the paper back to Adrien as the bell rung.

As everyone sat down in class, Mrs. Bustier had some announcements to make. "Alright class settle down, I have a few announcements. As you might have noticed these akuma attacks have a tendency to trash the school or threaten students, not that any of you really mean it I'm sure."

A few kids groaned hated being reminded of them being taken over by akumas. It was nearing the start of the third month of school and already some of the class had been transformed. The last one had been Nathanial a few days ago. He had attacked Chloe for her rude comments and then rescued/kidnapped Sabrina from the blond's evil clutches and taken her out on a date.

Chat Noir and Ladybeetle had a little trouble rescuing her, because Chloe kept demanding they stay and protect her. It had taken all Ladybeetle's patience to convince the blond that saving her friend was slightly more important than them doing her physics homework. After she had been rescued, Sabrina and Marinette had finished the project together. Sabrina had begged Marinette not to say anything about Chloe not helping, and she reluctantly agreed, only because she didn't want Sabrina to lose the only friend she had.

"As I was saying, Mr. Damocles and staff, have been working to create new drills should another attack happen at school. We'll be having the first one sometime next week. I want you to all pay close attention because these drills could save your lives." The students all nodded although secretly Adrien and Marinette were wondering how you could prepare for an akuma attack when their abilities seemed so random. At least the adults were trying to look out for their safety.

Ms. Bustier told them signup sheets for upcoming student and community events would posted outside the classroom after lunch. All of them were open for anyone to join up and there were no fees. There also a list for students who wanted to be tutors to sign. She reminded that each student would have to be approved by their teacher before they could become a tutor.

The last announcement was that in a few weeks they be having elections for class representatives. If anyone was interested they had to be in good standing and talk to her before she allowed them to run. "Remember, if only one pair of students run, then we won't have a vote. Now please turn in your literature papers please."

Adrien handed in his paper and whispered to Nino, "Why did Ms. Bustier mention that part of not voting. Don't you have a vote every year?"

The boy sighed, reminding himself that Adrien still was a newbie when it came to student pecking orders."There's no point, Chloe wins every year. She gets the title, the prestige, and perks, but Sabrina's the one that does all the work and goes to the meetings." Nino shrugged his shoulders. He looked so defeated when he resumed talking "Even though we've all stood up to her, Chloe has enough resources to make sure our futures after school are unachievable. It's not worth it to run against her."

While taking notes for class Adrien was trying to understand how his old friend, who had always been so nice, friendly, and fun, could be so bratty and loved bullying and getting joy from hurting others. Sure, when they were growing up, Chloe would always make a few unfriendly remarks about people who weren't as well off as them, or threw a few tantrums, when she didn't get what she wanted fast enough. But seeing her acting so possessive and mean spirited truly bothered him.

Behind him, he could hear Marinette and Alya whispering back and forth to one another. Marinette's voice was getting a little higher as the conversation continued. "Alya, please drop it for now. I can't do it."

"Yes you can girl. You stood up to her before and if you would just tell the…."

"Don't even say it!" Marinette hissed. Unfortunately she had said that a bit too loud. Ms. Bustier didn't even have to say anything. Marinette got her stuff and headed to the Headmaster's office. A loose sheet of paper fell out of her notebook as she left the classroom.

Adrien snatched it up and hid it. He would give it to her at lunch. Just holding something of hers was making his heart beat a bit faster. Anytime they were near each other or the class did activities together, just being in her presence made him feel "love sick" as Plagg called it.

* * *

It was lunch time and Adrien had to head home for lunch. His father had insisted he eat lunch at home four times a week; not that he was there to share the meal with. As he walked to his limo, he spotted Marinette heading home angrily. Impulsively he called out. "Hi Marinette, how are you doing?"

She turned towards him and smiled. She started walking over when she tripped on a crack and fell on the sidewalk. She waved off his help. "One of these days, I'm going to make it through a day without tripping. I'm doing fine."

"You sure because you look like something's bothering you. Do you want to come over for lunch? My chef makes too much for one sitting." Adrien was internally freaking out and he swore he heard Plagg snickering inside his bag. He hit the bag reminding the kwamii to be quiet.

Marinette glanced over at her family's home for a minute, then nodded. "Okay, I actually could use some advice on something. I think your personal assistant might be a huge help." Adrien rolled his eyes and remarked that Nathalie was his dad's assistant and not his. The Gorilla didn't say anything as he drove to the two teens back to the mansion. Upon arrival Marinette was shocked by huge house and the very elaborate security system. It seemed a bit over the top. If she had tried to deliver the Miraculous here, she doubted Adrien would have gotten the ring. "It's very extravagant."

Adrien nodded and led her inside. Nathalie was waiting for him and had a single eyebrow raised. "Adrien, would you mind introducing your friend and explain why she is alone with you?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a classmate of mine. I invited her to join me for lunch is all. She wanted to talk to you actually; thinking you could help her with something." Again Nathalie raised a single eyebrow looking at the girl. She squirmed a little under her gaze and rubbed her turtle shaped bracelet to deal with her discomfort. Why a regular teenage girl wanted to talk to a personal assistant was a mystery. Nevertheless she escorted both of them into the dining room.

Soon the two teens were eating an extremely healthy meal for lunch as they talked. Both of them would get a little tongue tied as they talked unsure why that happened. Halfway through the meal Adrien pulled out the dropped piece of paper. "Um, you dropped this earlier. You know when you were having that argument with Alya."

Marinette's quickly snatched up the picture. Her heart was pounding, but for a different reason than being near Adrien. This was the first sketch in her long term plan on turning the massage/spa into her design studio and store someday. "Um thanks, you didn't happen to read the notes on the side?"

"No, that would be rude. Does this have to do with your argument or why you wanted to talk to Nathalie?"

The bluenette ran her fingers through her hair and softly admitted it was both. Knowing he had been able to keep Plagg a secret so far she decided to trust him. "A bit of both actually. Do you remember what I said when I was trying to light that incense?" When Adrien nodded she continued with her speech. "What you don't know is about my inheritance. Mr. Fu wanted to thank me for trying to help and he had family heirlooms that he wanted me to look after. So he left me all his bank accounts, belongings and the building he owned, where he worked and lived."

Now it was Adrien's eyebrows that raised. Behind him Nathalie looked a bit more impressed. She listened closely as the young designer admitted how much her inheritance was worth and her plan was ambitious, but doable. Especially since she had planned this out in stages. "May I look at your design young lady?"

Nathalie was vaguely aware that her young charge and the girl had started talking about their class rep elections as she looked over the design and the schedule of the plans. Some of the girl's estimates were a bit on the low side and she had scribbled notes with unanswered questions about how to reopen the health spa or what did she need to know to hire the right people to run the business. Clearing her throat the two teens looked back at her.

"You're very ambitious Ms. Dupain-Cheng and at the same time practical. With a few adjustments to your budget you might be able to get the massage/spa back up and running within seven months." She wrote down a few numbers and added answers to the questions that teen had. "I hope this assists you in your endeavor. You seem very sensible and responsible enough to complete the first stage of your project." The assistant didn't miss the girl blushing or the way Adrien's eyes looked at his friend with absolute confidence.

"Thank you Ms. Secaoure. I would like to make you something to show my appreciation. I insist, here are my latest designs. Take a look and see if there's anything want."

The personal assistant would never admit this out loud, but this girl had a unique design style and was on par with several of the designers at _Gabriel_ right now. If this was what she was capable of now, who knew what her potential would be in the future? She finally pointed to a lovely little hat which Marinette agreed to give her in two weeks.

With lunch time ending, the two kids hurried to the limo to get back to school on time. Watching them go, Nathalie wondered if she could persuade Mr. Agreste to let the Dupain-Cheng girl come over by herself more often. He might find her interesting indeed.

* * *

Arriving back at the school ten minutes before lunch was over Adrien thanked her for having lunch with him. She assured him she had a nice time. Remembering he hadn't had time to give out the prototype accessories he hurried off to find Sabrina and Juleka, the ones chosen for them this time. Alya was walking towards Marinette to apologize for getting the girl in trouble this morning, but someone beat her and they looked angry at her best friend.

"What do you think you're doing Maritrash hanging out with _**my best friend**_ during lunch hour? Adrikens and I had plans for a delicious sushi meal at _**my hotel restaurant!**_ What pathetic little stunt did you pull to get him to take you to his huge and high class mansion," Chloe demanded, her blue eyes narrowing and by the look of things she might use her perfect manicured nails to scratch the secret Great Guardian's face.

"Back off Chloe, if you had lunch plans he didn't mention it. He just asked me to have lunch with him that's it. He was just being nice. It's not a big deal." Marinette started to walk around Chloe only for the blond heiress to hiss and tear Marinette's jacket off.

"Give that back Chloe!" trying to snatch her jacket back, but Chloe held it just out of reach. "It's not yours, please give it back."

"No, I think I'll keep it and use it as rag for cleaning the hotel. Once the maids are done with it, you can have it back," the bully haughtily laughed. She fully intended to carry out her threat. Marinette needed to learn that no one took what was rightfully hers. That included Adrien, who would thank her in the long run for what she was doing. She held the jacket higher out of reach and use one fingernail to create a tear.

By now a few students had gathered and Sabrina had appeared and saw the problem going on. Any minute now someone would come investigate the problem. She could see some of the teachers starting to look out their windows. Without thinking, she rushed over and took the jacket, out of Chloe's hands. "Chloe why do you want to touch such a raggedy old thing like that? You'll ruin your manicure. Here, this is the new accessory that Adrien wanted you to have."

It was a beautiful white headband with some crystals in the shape of the brand name logo. The headband could be worn multiple ways, just by gently twisting the ends making it longer or shorter and it was easily reversible, the crystals could be shifted so they wouldn't get stuck in someone's hair.

Chloe snatched the headband and put it in her hair adjusting it so the crystals would shine brightly in the sunlight. A little more adjusting and the accessory now looked like a tiara. "Adrien is so considerate. I bet he'll let me keep this instead of returning it to his father. Come on Sabrina, we're done with these peasants," Chloe stated dismissively before swaggering off. Sabrina hesitated as everyone looked at her wondering what she was going to do. For a moment it looked like she wasn't going to go, but a second later she dropped the jacket and scampered off after Chloe.

Alya shook her head in disbelief. Sabrina had given over a special hairband that she was supposed to be trying out to Chloe; because she knew it would make the girl happy. "Sometimes, I wish Sabrina would open her eyes up and realize that Chloe's just using her and doesn't deserve her loyalty."

"Yes, maybe someone should talk to her about what real friends are like." She subtly looked in Mireille's direction, specifically her backpack. Tikki was peeking out and gave her a tiny nod understanding what the Great Guardian wanted her to do.

* * *

It was after school and Mireille was waiting outside the doors searching for Sabrina. Chloe had gone home early due to a "migraine" and that she expected Sabrina to bring her the homework finished. At least that what Marinette had managed to tell her when she was heading into literature and Marinette to math.

Why does Marinette thing I can help Sabrina see the truth? I'm still struggling with using my yo-yo to get around the city without crashing into anything Mireille thought to herself. "Tikki, I'm really not comfortable with doing this. Sabrina's not even one of my friends or classmates. Shouldn't Marinette try talking to her?"

Tikki poked her head out of the backpack. "Mireille, Marinette asked you to do this because Sabrina might listen to you. She obviously won't listen to what her classmates are trying to say, but as an outsider you have a unique perspective of what's going on, and can use your own experiences to help someone in your community."

Mireille adjusted her backpack and patted Tikki back down into its depth of her backpack. Her kwami often told her that she needed to start helping people whether she was Ladybeetle or Mireille. Finally she spotted Sabrina exiting the building. "Sabrina, over here!"

Sabrina paused and looked surprised that someone was talking to her directly. She didn't recognize the girl, but she did seem awfully familiar. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Mireille Caquet, you might have seen me on TV. I'm the junior weather girl for KIDZ+ network. I also am in the library a lot. I sometimes tutor classmates having trouble in science."

Sabrina nodded recognition in her eyes. "I've seen you helping Marinette sometimes in exchange for cookies. You and that girl Aurore used to be friends."

"We're friends again, even after she attacked me as an akuma." Sabrina looked surprised at that. Sensing that Sabrina wanted to get going, the civilian Ladybeetle started walking slowly to the Le Grande Paris Hotel. They hadn't gone more than a few steps when Sabrina needed a rest.

"Sorry, I should be use to carrying this much weight now, but it just seems to get heavier all the time." Mireille watched as Sabrina strained to lift the two heavy book bags before taking one. It was super heavy. "What's in this thing, rocks?"

"Of course not! Its Chloe's emergency outfit pack. My best friend can't be seen looking like a mess. The media would have a field day and her dad would be very upset. So I started carrying that around since the end of the last school year." Opening the pack up, Mireille couldn't believe that five outfits and four different pairs of shoes fit in there. Then there was all the make up, accessories, and a mirror as well. She even spotted a hair straightener.

"Sabrina, why do you let Chloe treat you like dirt all the time? Clearly she doesn't respect you or care for your health."

Sabrina started to rage. "I wish everyone would stop trying to make me believe that Chloe's not my friend. She's super nice and kind to me. We always do everything together and I stand up for her when people are treating her unfairly. So she comes across a bit blunt and rude, she's the daughter of the Mayor. Being perfect all the time is hard work."

Mireille couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could sense Tikki worrying about the state of the girl's mind. If she pushed to hard Sabrina might never listen and could suffer from serious problems later on in life. "I'm sorry, I know it can't be easy for the most popular girl in school to manage everything all the time. I know I couldn't do it without help from my friends and especially if Aurore didn't have my back."

Calming down the girls started walking again, at a slower pace to make things easier for Sabrina's health. While Mireille told the redhead about why Aurore stopped being her friend and later set things right by apologizing and showing she meant it, she kept wondering why Mireille gave the jealous blond a second chance. "Why did you give her a second chance and take her back as a friend? She obviously stopped being a friend when she refused to submit to you."

"Sabrina, do you even understand how friendship works? Yes, Aurore made a mistake and left me behind. She hurt me a lot, but if I didn't give her a chance to make amends I'd be hurting myself. Friendship is many things, including loyalty to your friends and being able to put them first when the situation calls for it," Mireille explained as they stood near the entrance to the hotel.

Mireille put her hand on Sabrina shoulder and gave her a pleading look. "While you should give a person a chance to make up for their mistakes, you first need to determine if they deserve that chance. Aurore deserved that chance and since then our friendship, respect, and even the bond we share has gotten stronger."

Mireille looked at her watch and said she had to get going, but if Sabrina needed help getting the stuff upstairs she'd stay a few minutes longer. The redhead said she be fine and watched Mireille go.

It was funny, Mireille reminded of her of Ladybeetle in a way. The super heroine had apologized for them rescuing her so late due to Chloe's actions. At that time it didn't matter to Sabrina, Chloe always came first because of who she was. However, she had felt a tiny smidgen of annoyance when Chloe didn't acknowledge that she delayed the heroes in rescuing her. Nathaniel even apologized and had paid for her lunch the next day to make up for his actions.

No I can't think like that. Chloe's my best friend. She cares about me and trusts me no matter what. I know if I couldn't do something for her she understand and even help me. I'll show them all.

* * *

The next day was Tuesday afternoon. The weather outside was a bit of a drizzle and the wind had a chill in it. It seemed that bad weather was finally hitting Paris this year. Because of the weather, business was slow so the Dupain-Chengs told their daughter she could go work on her new design project.

Wayzz watched fascinated as gather the material for the hat. It would cover part of the hair and be secured with tiny hooks that wouldn't pull on the scalp The color she had chosen was a dark maroon to help the hat seamlessly blend in with the business attire that Nathalie wore every day.

She was working on the base, as Wayzz taught her, what she needed to know. He wanted to talk about Duusu, but thought Marinette needed a lesson on how difficult it could be retrieving a Miraculous that was being misused or lost. So he started with the only other missing Miraculous. "Nooroo's Miraculous is a brooch because his wielders like having something small to focus on when using their powers. It can also be easily hidden under a scarf or tie, just like a Butterfly is supposed to be."

"Where do the butterflies come from and how are they turned into akumas?" she asked as continue to stitch the brim. She stuck out her tongue as did some difficult stitches. "I doubt Hawkmoth has a butterfly garden that still thriving as the weather changes." She looked over the hat for a minute before continuing to work on it.

"The butterflies are an extension of Nooroo himself. Whenever Nooroo transforms a person, they are covered in a flitter of butterflies, the amount depends on how strong Nooroo is and how many are needed. If he's fully charged, then he can create more than a hundred, if he's not, you get about ten."

Hmm that means if Hawkmoth wants an army he'd have to feed Nooroo every day to keep up his strength. If he's abusing Nooroo that must mean he's not feeding him regularly, which might limit his powers. "What about the akumas themselves?"

Wayzz handed her some thread before continuing. The flitter would either become a little angel or an akuma depending on the type of emotional energy and purpose of the butterfly. Hawkmoth sought out people in pain, fusing their negative emotions with his own evil intent, thus creating an akuma. Because of the negative energy, a positive kind was needed for the cleansing, thus Ladybeetle was the best for the job.

"It would be highly dangerous if Chat Noir attempted to take out on akuma, should Ladybeetle be too injured to do a purification. Negative energy only adds to the power of destruction. The best case scenario would be the backlash would only injure Chat Noir for an unforeseen time. Worst case, would be an equivalent to a bomb going off." The little turtle kwami shuddered at this making Marinette believe that something similar had happened years ago.

Both stayed silent for a bit, the only sound was the soft ping of the needle going in and out. Finally Wayzz began to talk again. "The reason Hawkmoth is limited to one akuma a day and goes for a days without making one is because of the bond between Nooroo and him. They can feel the others emotions. Nooroo thrives on positive emotions, however Hawkmoth's negative emotions, plus the strain of making an akuma, leaves both of them weak."

Marinette nodded in understanding. Continuing to work on the hat she thought about the problem her two miraculous users were facing. The villain on the days he did release the akuma, probably waited until he felt the strongest negative emotions to help boost the Akuma's power. Still, even with his limits, he was not someone easily defeated.

"Does the Butterfly Miraculous have any weakness that can be used against it?"

"I can't tell you that. When we were created, the original Great Guardian used ancient magic to keep us from revealing the secrets of another Miraculous and their kwami. There are limits in place of what I can and can't tell you. Only Nooroo can reveal his secrets to you. If he was there when you awakened the others he would have."

That makes it harder to rescue him if I'm limited about what I can know. Still, there must be something more he can tell me. "As the Great Guardian am I least privileged to know what the Butterfly Miraculous looks specifically like?" Wayzz nodded as he described what the Miraculous looked like in both modes. One pat on the head and a carrot stick later, he told Marinette what Nooroo was like.

"Nooroo is gentle and kind kwami. He doesn't want to cause any trouble. While we can't actively resist our wielder, all Kwamiis to an extent can be stubborn and not reveal the whole truth about something."

"Let me guess, Nooroo isn't the best at resisting?" He nodded. "Change is always happening, so it's difficult for him to remain stubborn. The only thing I can add for now is that the longer this goes on, Nooroo will continue to suffer both mentally and physically."

So I have to start pushing Adrien and Mireille harder if they're going to save Nooroo. Still, there are a lot things I don't know. Can a bond be forcefully broken if the Miraculous is taken or is there a sever consequence for doing that? What other powers can Nooroo grant and how well does Hawkmoth fight if Chat Noir and Ladybeetle find him?

She set the hat down, having finished the brim and looked outside the window. The rain was now starting to pour and she spotted lightning going off in the distance. Somewhere out in the city Nooroo was waiting out there to be rescued. "Can you sense him out there, like an exact location? You sensed when he was awakened and was being used for evil."

Wayzz joined her at the window looking outside. "I can sense an imbalance in the energy around us and sense when a Miraculous goes active. All Kwamiis can sense one another, specifically pairs. Tikki and Plagg know that Ladybeetle and Chat Noir are Adrien and Mireille, they're just forbidden to tell their wielders. Only if their wielders agree to a reveal then they can start talking about each other, once it happens."

No doubt to protect their chosen one and their family safe. "That still doesn't answer my specification question. Do you know where Nooroo is exactly?"

"No, I can sense him in the city, but people who misuse Miraculouses always finds a way to block their Kwamiis exact position. Every akuma gets the duo one step closer to finding and saving Nooroo."

They both stared out the window looking at Notre Dame in the distance. Wayzz was thinking about Nooroo and Duusu, praying for both of them. Marinette said a silent prayer for Mireille and Adrien also. Her thoughts lingered about the boy. Why did she remember every inch of face or when had she started thinking he was funny when he did puns as Chat Noir on Alya's blog? Whatever it was she hoped he was okay.

* * *

At the Agreste Mansion, Adrien had a rare afternoon off. No lessons, no photo shoots and there was no need for Chat Noir. Plagg was eating his giant variety cheese pack as he watched amused as his kitten was trying to find two friends to hang out with. Nobody he called yet was free that afternoon or they didn't want to go out in the weather.

"Ah this is hopeless!" Adrien moaned as he tossed his phone on his table. He started pacing his room going from anxious to angry. He gnashed his teeth together as he tried to find something to entertain himself. The blond model played his video games for a total of five minutes before resuming his pacing.

He rolled a few balls around the pool table then started climbing his rock wall. It helped with his anxiety for a little bit. He then started running up and down his skate ramp, yet nothing was releasing the tension he felt. He opened his closet and started throwing out all his clothes. Once he had huge pile he jumped on top of it. He started rolling around in the pile, trying to get even deeper in the pile. He saw some loose strands and started pulling at them. Suddenly, his mind snapped back in place and he fell on top of his couch. Plagg levitated over and the boy swatted at him.

"Okay that's enough kid! I know you're still adjusting to my cat like tendencies, but swatting me will get you nothing, but bite marks."

"What is going on Plagg? You mentioned me slowly gaining cat like traits. Since we met, my hearing and smell has gotten better and I jump further, but you never mentioned anything like this! What am doing anyways?"

Plagg sighed and gulped down his last sample. Let it be said Wayzz, I'm not too lazy to help my kittens, I just like letting them figure things out on their own he thought to himself. "Hey kitten, what's the first word you can come up with when you think about pet cats?"

"Clean and why are you calling me kitten?"

"You're not a tomcat just yet seeing as your still a kid kitten and that's not what I meant. Come on, don't be so oblivious Adrien. What is it about cats that you like the most? What do you want that they have?" Adrien thought about it and admitted it was their freedom. How they were so independent and mysterious, especially when they played. Plagg nodded and explained that Miraculous users inherit many different animal traits from their kwami and not all of them are good.

"You're a healthy and active boy, who right now is feeling caged in. Your inner cat wants to go out and just be free even if it's for a little while. That sense of freedom is stronger in you than some of my other kittens, because of how tightly wound your life is."

Adrien was not impressed hearing this. Plagg was basically saying all his responsibilities were making him go cat mad. Did that mean he would be destroying his property from now on? "You better have a suggestion, because as rich as I am, I can't afford to be destroying my clothes every time I'm feeling "caged."

Plagg nodded in agreement. "Trust me, I have had a few kittens in the past that ended up in bad places when they got too cooped up or couldn't let the inner cat out. What I suggest is that when you're feeling like this, you go for a long walk and explore. I'll even turn you into Chat Noir, no cheese requests, so you can get the freedom you need."

Hearing that surprised Adrien considering how much of a glutton Plagg was. Since they met, he learned that while Plagg was lazy, annoying, and cheese obsessed, he would do anything within reason for him. The way Plagg's eyes were downcast, made the model gulp. Something must have gone really wrong with a past user to push the kwami into being more responsible.

"Do you think we should wait until the rain passes or go out now? I mean don't cats hate water?"

"People still believe in that old rumor? Lots of cats love water and we can all swim. The only reason we avoid water most of the time is how hard it is to get our coats dry after being in the water."

With no objection Plagg transformed Adrien into Chat Noir. He slipped outside his house and started running between houses and jumping roofs. His suit was waterproof so the cold water didn't touch his skin. "Plagg was right. This is what I needed."

* * *

Once again time seemed to fly by as the school year dragged on. More akumas happened and when they did Marinette was surprised that all her training was actually paying off. Since she started meditating and doing spiritual exercises she started becoming sensitive enough to know when people's energies started changing.

Examples included the time there was a Copycat of Chat Noir stealing from the city. Ladybeetle almost attacked her own Chat Noir, if it wasn't for Marinette, who had been in civilian form, jumping in between the fight, and told the duo, she had seen the copy, with a purple picture sticking out of his pocket, running towards Theo's studio. Even after Alya blogged about the akuma, no one quite understood what set that one off. All the duo had said was there was a miscommunication between them and the sculptor, but everything was worked out.

The other time she had sensed something amiss was on Anonymous Crush Day at school. Knowing that part of the problem with getting students to pay attention in class or remembering to do their homework, was because teenagers started to have crushes, distracting them from their studies. The staff decided that one day out of the school year, students could leave a gift anonymously in a labeled box for that person.

To avoid any bullying or fake gifts, the students were required to fill out a card about why they had a crush on a person for the teachers need to know. Once the gifts had been handed out, the cards were destroyed by a shredder.

What had happened was that Kim turned into Dark Cupid after Chloe, who had not received anything, which happened sometimes, had relentlessly teased Kim for his pathetic gift to his crush, Alix. Alix, who couldn't believe someone had given her gift and that was Kim off all people, had shoved the pretty pin into the garbage, before running out of the classroom embarrassed.

The entire school had become a target range as he tried to hit Chloe with an arrow to make her stop loving anyone. Ladybeetle had avoided being hit when Chat Noir had protected her. Strangely, instead of attacking Ladybeetle, he went after Alya, Nino, and Marinette declaring his hate for them. There had been a struggle and the trio almost got Cataclysm in the face, only to be saved seconds later by Ladybeetle purifying the akuma. That had been an eye opening experience for Marinette, as Wayzz had neglected to mention that sometimes wielders fell under another Kwamiis power.

By now, half the class wanted Chloe suspended or expelled from school, because she kept causing her fellow classmates to turn into Akumas. Mayor Bourgeois had donated a huge amount of money to the school to avoid that situation, stating that he had a firm talk with his daughter, about keeping her temper in check.

While Marinette sat in class listening to Ms. Bustier's lecture, Wayzz was in her purse using her phone, which he finally remembered to put on silent!, as he did a search for jewelry and antique stores in Paris. There were a lot of them.

"Curse my memory. I can remember where I was on this day two hundred years ago, but I can't recall all the details of Duusu's last wielder. I have to think harder."

"Maybe you're thinking too much Wayzz," Plagg stated as he phased into the purse. The little kwami settled down on the bottom of the purse. "Before you start lecturing me about leaving my kitten, it was your idea to keep your hatchling ignorant about the fact he's her soulmate, which we both know is worse than what I'm doing now."

"You know very well why I kept that from her! If you're going to just sit there bothering me until class ends, then go. I'm trying to find Duusu and her Miraculous."

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Do you really believe me to be too lazy to look for our friend? I may have not been active at the time, but I can still help you know. My kitten's father is the head of a fashion company with ties to local retailers remember?"

"Alright, I'm checking out jewelry and antique stores in case she was sold or that someone is making jewelry similar to her Miraculous. It's truly frustrating that I'm having difficulty to recall everything about the last time Master Fu and I searched for her."

"Just go mediate, I'm sure it will help you remember," Plagg commented off hand. "I'll do the search until you remember more." The two Kwamiis switched positions as they got down to work. Plagg was able to eliminate the antique shops pretty quickly, knowing humans who are collectors just loved to brag about their prized possessions. He marked off a lot of low to mid end jewelry stores, because even disguised, the Miraculous looked a bit high end.

Sensing that the bell was going to ring in five minutes, he woke Wayzz from his meditation by tackling him. He laughed at the bemused expression on Wayzz face.

"When are you going to stop pouncing on me to get my attention?"

"Never, it's too much fun seeing you flop around on your back for a few minutes."

"You will never change will you Plagg? So how was the search?"

"I eliminated all antique and low to mid end stores. I checked back at least twenty five years just to be thorough. It might be helpful to look for stories online about a peacock based hero. That might help you recall more details." With a flash of his teeth Plagg phased through the purse back into his wielder's bag as the bell rang. He rubbed his paws in glee. Time for his mid-morning cheese snack!

* * *

The class filed out as they headed to the library for a quiet study period. Nino stretched his tired limbs. "Ugh I can't believe how stiff I am. Our teachers are really piling up the homework. All I want to do is go and sleep in the library. That or listen to music."

"You know that's not allowed Nino, if the teachers won't even let us personalize our locker doors with magnets, what makes you think they'll ever let us listen to music in the library?" Alya asked him.

"Maybe our new class rep can talk to the headmaster about it," Adrien suggested as he spread out his morning homework out and started working on it with vigor. He needed to complete as much as he could. He had a photo shoot right after school and he couldn't miss it no matter what came up.

Alya looked at Marinette, her eyes burrowing into her. "Come on girl, you know you make a great class rep. I'd even be your deputy if that will convince you."

Marinette banged her head against the table in exasperation. "For the last time Alya, I can't! I'm already busy enough. Helping out at the bakery, babysitting, designing and doing a few orders. On top of that I have homework, along with spending time with family and friends so they don't get mad. Do I even have to mention **it** one more time?"

Nino raised an eyebrow wondering what Marinette was talking about. As the two girls squabbled with each other, he leaned in and whispered to his best friend,"Do you know what the secret is? Alya's been complaining to me about Marinette being too secretive about something for weeks now."

"It's a private matter that only Marinette needs to worry about. If she doesn't want to talk about it, Alya shouldn't keep pushing her to talk about it," Adrien responded. Both boys shook their heads knowing that Alya never knew when to drop it. They both turned back to their homework knowing the girls wouldn't be squabbling for long.

Marinette finally convinced Alya to drop it. "I forgot to get an encyclopedia on my history topic. I'll be right back." Adrien got up to follow her saying he could help her get the book from the shelf. Their best friends smiled at one another wondering when they were going to admit their feelings.

Three minutes later, Adrien had gotten the book Marinette wanted, using that extra spring in his step to reach it. "Here you go Marinette. I hope this stacks up your grade."

"Punning again? Well in small doses it fine, but please don't use too many on me or I might turn over." Both let out soft laughs enjoying their private joke. As they headed back to the table they heard a loud whisper, "What do you mean you can't run for class rep with me this year?" It was coming from the audio book section.

"What is Chloe upset about this time?" Marinette asked.

"I don't know, but I better go see. Maybe I can calm her down. Stay here."

Opening her purse slightly she whispered to Wayzz. "Should I go see what's going on?"

"Why are you asking me? We both know that you'll do the opposite of what I'll say because you're too curious. Go." Tiptoeing through the library she hid behind a shelving unit near the audio books. Sabrina, was sitting at a table with Chloe. The redhead was near tears and Chloe face pinched in anger. She kept running her right hand over something on her neck that she couldn't see clearly. Adrien was sitting across from them trying to make them to talk to one another.

"Come on Chloe don't be mad at Sabrina. She's your best friend, just because she can't run with you this year is no reason to get upset."

"Adrikins, you're still new at this whole friendship thing, so forgive me if I think my friend making up excuses about her health; as a reason to not be my deputy this year." Wordlessly she handed over a note to Adrien who read it carefully.

"Chloe you do realize this is an official notice from a doctor right? Sabrina would have no reason to lie or forge something like this. Stress related health issues are serious. They can really mess you up." He should know, having had to go for a long run just last night.

Chloe rolled her eyes and huffed. "I live a stressful life and I don't have health issues. Besides; how could running as my deputy and helping me out with my homework and shopping, be stressful?"

"Please don't be mad Chloe. If I could help you I would, but my dad and my doctor were firm with me. No extra stressful activities or doing things that make my physical condition worse." Back pain was only one of her problems. She was having digestion issues and losing weight rapidly. "Being a student rep is just too stressful right now. Being with you is so much fun, but my dad is insisting I stay home and rest more often." The girl was looking at her best friend pleading with her to understand.

Adrien whispered some stuff to Chloe who responded back in harsh whispers. Sabrina started to whisper only to clam up a few seconds later when the blond hissed something that made both Sabrina and Adrien gasp. Silently, Chloe got up and started walking out of the library.

Marinette tried to make a fast exit, but her clothes got stuck on the edge of shelf causing her to fall down on her back, her arms and legs flailing around. "My, what an interesting position you're in Maritrash. Are you trying to be a stupid little turtle?"

Marinette rolled to her knees and picked up her book. Chloe laughed and flicked her hair back, revealing the stunning piece of jewelry around the blond heiress's neck, a collar of some kind. It looked like a white snake with indigo scales with a brown eye eating its own tail.

"Oh thinking of trying to steal my newest jewels? Forget it, this antique beauty is worth a fortune considering how old this is and rarity of these gems coming from one place." She went on to say the snake's body consisted of pure white danburite with rare indigo colored sodalite gems acting as the scales. The eye was a rare light brown enstatite gemstone. "This piece is worth more than you'll ever be Maritrash."

* * *

Later, in the privacy of her room, Marinette ranted. "What is wrong with that girl? She's always been mean spirited and rude, but now she's become cruel, vindictive, and power hungry." She continued to pace and kick at the floor.

"You shouldn't concern yourself right now with Ms. Bourgeois behavior. While it's incredibly hurtful, you need to focus on finding Duusu," Wayzz reminded her. He was sitting on the staircase to her bed, trying to stay out of Marinette's way.

Marinette asked him sarcastically how she was supposed to do that if Chloe continued making akumas. One day she might go too far and create an akuma that Chat Noir and Ladybeetle couldn't handle.

"As the Great Guardian, you cannot let the actions of others distract you from your responsibilities, even if it causes problems for other Miraculous users. As a mentor and Great Guardian, you have to project a calm nature no matter what the situation is. As long as you are calm, others will follow."

The Miraculous glowed briefly sending a calming wave of energy through her body helping her to mellow out. Taking a few deep breaths she let the negative energy flow out of her body. Duusu needed her and she was going to help her no matter what. "So why are we looking at jewelry stores again? Why would someone sell a Miraculous?"

Wayzz sat near her computer as he watched his wielder go through the lists of possible shops, taking a look back at previous years of stocks. "Sometimes Miraculouses get sold to jewelry stores by mistake, such as if a wielder died unexpectedly or if someone finds a dormant one by accident."

The Great Guardian has a responsibility to find and make sure all the Miraculouses are safe once they are no longer needed. Even if a person went into hiding, how could they escape detection for so long? "Is it harder to detect a dormant Miraculous then an active one?"

"Yes," Wayzz nodded as he walked over to her homework tablet. He decided to help Marinette get started on her homework while she narrowed down the search of which stores they should take a look at. "Similar to a light switch, unless the current is running, you can't get light."

"I've narrowed our search to fifteen stores total. It's not going to be easy to get into some of them. The most exclusive jewelers only open their doors to known clients." It would take some creative thinking to getting into those stores to check if a peacock pin had ever been there or was available. "If this doesn't work, we'll need to meditate more right?" The little kwami nodded. He would get his memory of Duusu's last weilder back no matter what! Snuggling into his pet pocket, the duo left the bakery hoping to get a least five stores off their list before having to go home for dinner.

Getting into any high end jewelry shop was difficult, when you didn't look the part of high society. The first store actually turned her away before she even reached the door. Retreating a bit, she tried to figure out a different approach. "If I go home and change, then I won't get to visit all the stores I want to. I can't use my powers to get in there. There must be some way to enter the store." Suddenly she spotted a familiar photographer coming out of the store muttering something.

"Stupid manager. How can I capture the essences of the new male accessories if she keeps pushing us into the wrong corner," Vincent muttered to himself. He was fiddling with the camera, trying to put in a new lens.

"Hello sir, how are you today?" a female voice called out to him. He looked up from his camera and spotted the girl from the park coming over. Her radiant smile was beautiful as ever. "Sorry to bother you sir. I just thought I say hello. It obvious you're shooting a new campaign."

"I wish young miss. The manager in the store is impossible and she is degrading all the models, especially young Mr. Agreste. Every time I attempt to take a picture, she yells at someone," he complained. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "You mentioned you are a designer yes?" The teen nodded as he also recalled how she acted when Stormy Weather had trapped her. "Do you mind acting like my assistant for a little bit? You can run interference with the manager so I can finally take my photos in peace."

"Well okay I guess. I would love to see the high end jewelry here." Thanks to a stroke of good luck she was going to get inside and have a chance to look at the jewelry!

* * *

Stepping inside the store, she was blown away by all the high priced pieces. There had to be at least three security guards per case section. Luxurious purses, scarves and belts were on free standing displays ready to match any of the jewelry pieces for sale. That is anyone could afford a 1008.00 euro necklace.

As they walked over towards the men's section of jewelry she looked around trying to see if any of the pieces on display looked like the Peacock Miraculous. So far nothing and her bracelet wasn't reacting to anything. Maybe she should check the back room if possible?

"Excuse me, but who allowed this riffraff into _my_ store?" the manager, a lady that heavily resembled Lady Tremaine, (Cinderella's stepmother), complete with an oversized green brooch demanded. She didn't hide her disgust at what Marinette and Vincent were wearing.

"She's my assistant Ms. Ladre. If I'm to finish the shoot on time, I will require her assistance. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to work." Marinette kept her head down as they entered the area of the photo shoot with Ms. Ladre eyes drilling in her back. Clearly the woman had high standards of who was worth something and who wasn't. Why had Mr. Agreste chosen this particular shop to have the photo shoot done in?

Marinette mind snapped back into place as she watched as the male models took their poses. Besides Adrien, there were three older models, probably college age, wearing different accessories. One guy was flaunting a jeweled belt made from hand woven silk while another was wearing a platinum watch. The third older model had on a handsome tie.

In the middle of them all sat Adrien. He was wearing a stylish hat that matched his bracelet and the signet ring. He had slipped off the Miraculous which was in his jean pocket. He also had a necklace around his neck and pretending to search his amazingly crafted wallet. He was the picture of sophistication. Adrien gave Marinette a small wave before getting back to his pose. Vincent encouraged the boys to look more natural and let the products show more. The models moved as he asked. The one with the belt had a tiny amount of skin showing as he leaned back so his belt was displayed more prominently.

"STOP THIS SHOOT RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT HAVE SUCH A DISGRACE OF MODESTY IN MY STORE!" Ms. Ladre yelled as she stormed over ready to attack the model. The poor guy was trembling in fear of the demanding woman.

"Ms. Ladre, please. We can adjust the shirt so the skin doesn't show by accident. There is no reason to be upset," Marinette pleaded with her. The teen frantically went over and adjusted the shirt so no skin would show. "See? Isn't that better?"

"Not good enough. This entire photo shoot will ruin my store! My customers would never buy a watch if they saw that slouch wearing it. That watch is one of the more expensive pieces in this accessory line and it looks so common and worthless with that particular skin tone. Don't get me started on how that other boy is destroying that tie. You smell so bad its wrinkling it!" Both models looked shocked at being talked to like this.

She sneered at Adrien stating he was the worst of them. A child, a scrawny ugly one at that, wasn't fit to be in her store. When Mr. Agreste promised her a professional photo shoot with top models she was expecting that he would give her gentlemen not ugly boys and riffraff.

"Millicent, that's enough!" The owner of the store came out of the backroom frowning at his manager. "I have kept you on as this store's manager despite complaints because you make sales happen. Right now, you are making a mess of the deal I made with the _Gabriel_ brand and you have insulted Mr. Agreste son! You're fired Ms. Ladre. Get your things and vacate the premises immediately."

Ms. Ladre spurted upon hearing those words. She started screaming that the owner was a complete fool and she was the real owner of the store. Without her the precious items in the store would have been stolen by riffraff or go to ugly people. Both the Gorilla and Security had to escort her outside before giving her a firm shove to send her on her way.

The photo shoot finally got back on track, but deep down Marinette knew that Ms. Ladre would be returning, most likely as an Akuma. Knowing she couldn't risk talking to Wayzz, she willed through their bond for him to get Mireille over this way now.

Mireille was out for a nice walk when her phone pinged indicating a text. "Hmm, it's from Marinette. She's helping out at Adrien's big photo shoot at the high end The Jewels Are You Store! She's inviting me to watch!"

"Are you going to go? Jewelry doesn't seem your sort of thing," Tikki spoke up. The little kwami looked at her chosen with a curious look.

"I've been saving up for nearly a year, to get one of their gold and sapphire studded cloud necklaces. If I get there, I might be able to see if the price has gone down!" Giggling with glee she took off towards the store. Her good luck had struck again and she wasn't going to miss this once in a lifetime chance.

* * *

Adrien was getting ready to move. Something was wrong in the air. Ms. Ladre had been extremely angry and defiant after being fired. She would be like a smorgasbord for Hawkmoth's akumas. He was reaching for his Miraculous when the front windows of the store exploded into pieces.

"NO ONE FIRES ME ESPECIALLY A STORE OWNER WHO CAN'T AFFORD ANY OF THE JEWELS HE SELLS!" Ms. Ladre, who had been transformed into a pile of moving jewels complete with weaponized accessories. "I AM THE CRYSTAL MISER AND I WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOU RIFFRAFF!"

Out of her palms, shot diamond belt buckles destroying the protective casing and vacuuming up the pieces. Once she had enough she recalled her belts and started shoot the jewels in a fiery blaze from her chest. People were running and ducking trying to figure a way to avoid getting hit.

Adrien managed to get to the backroom and hid in a storage closet. "Plagg come out wherever you are. This is an emergency!" The black cat kwami phased in the closet with a piece of cheese dangling from his mouth. "Is the shoot over now? I was about to finish off their cheese sandwiches."

"Plagg, Claws Out!" Instantly Chat Noir appeared as he rushed out of the back and in front of the store. "Well Hawkmoth must not think a lot about you, because you look rather lackluster to me jewel freak."

"YOU UGLY CAT! HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP IN MY STORE DRESSED UP LIKE THAT! SOMEONE NEEDS TO TOSS YOUR SORRY LITTLE THING OUT OF HERE!" For a crystal being she moved awfully fast catching Chat off guard as she kicked him in the chest leaving a tiny tear in his suit. Even surprised by the fact his suit took damage, Chat Noir attacked with his claws scattering several jewels all over the store. The jewels however flew back into place. "That's new!"

"I'M AM GOING TO COLLAR YOU AND TAKE YOUR MIRACULOUS!" she shouted as anklets shot at Chat Noir. The stupidly dressed hero kept moving around, dodging all her shots. He even jumped on top of free standing display knocking things over to get away from her.

"HOW DARE YOU! THOSE ACCESSORIES ARE WORTH TEN TIMES YOUR LIFE! ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST CAN EVEN LOOK AT THEM!"

"I guess that includes me. You want them back? You can have them!" He hooked his baton around the straps of the purse swinging it around as fast as he could. He released the purse as hit her in the face. He kept it up busting up more jewelry piles scattering them as far as he could so it would take time for her to reform.

"YOU MENACE! I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A BELT AND COAT FOR ALL THE TROUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED ME!"

"You have to catch me first. He laughed as he ran towards the door, hearing Crystal Miser sucking up more jewels. He knew he couldn't get out of the store in time to avoid the onslaught. A familiar yo-yo wrapped around his waist pulling him out of the store just in time. "About time you showed up partner. I couldn't figure out what to get you for your birthday."

"That can wait, we've got a job to do." Ladybeetle leaped in front of him whirling her yo-yo like a pro shattering any pieces shot at her. The Crystal Miser reached into her pocket and hurled a razor sharp wallet at the heroine. Ladybeetle didn't move fast enough and the top of her tunic tore slightly scaring Ladybeetle. "Chat, why didn't you warn me about that?"

"No time to talk! Keep moving!" It was taking all they had to avoid being chocked by ties, decapitated by hats, and flattened by giant watches. Chat Noir lost his baton when Crystal Miser used scarves to take it away. "Ladybeetle, the akuma has to be in her brooch. Its remained firmly in place no matter what we do."

"Right, Lucky Charm!" Out of the sky dropped a motorized disco ball. "Oh dear, this is a tricky one."

"SO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT TACKY PIECE OF JUNK CAN SAVE YOU FROM ME! I AM AN ETERNAL CRYSTAL MISER THAT WON'T BE SHATTERED!"

Ladybeetle eyes darted around. Spots appeared on a nearby street lamp, the store sign, and Chat Noir. "Okay, Chat distract her and don't use Cataclysm until I tell you!" She threw her yo-yo hard and swung up to the top of the light post.

"Hope this works," she whispered as she undid the light bulb and put in the disco ball in its place. She turned the motor on and the spinning lights covered the street becoming brighter as the sun reflected off it.

Feeling the light on his back, Chat Noir jumped up and on the building. Crystal Miser got ready to fire when she felt heat building up in her. She let out a wail of despair as her crystal body became a focusing lens that was tearing apart her store. "NO, THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

"Now!

"Cataclysm!" The sign came falling down on top of the akumatized lady, causing her to shatter all over the ground. Chat Noir saw the brooch and stomped on it releasing the akuma. Ladybeetle snagged it yelling "Purification Time!" The akuma was returned to normal and the jewelry pieces came together in the form of Ms. Ladre. Before Ladybeetle could use her Miraculous Cleanse, part of the store front, now unanchored, came crashing down towards them.

* * *

Both heroes closed their eyes thinking it was the end, when a female voice shouted, "Shell Guard!" Something crackled to life just as they heard the sound of the store front breaking apart above them. The crackle was heard again followed by a zap.

Opening their eyes, the two heroes caught a glimpse of a girl in a turtle suit using a meteor hammer to pull her up to the top of the store before running off. Wordlessly, Ladybeetle used the Miraculous Cleanse and for once not paying attention to its magic.

"You saw her too right?"

"Yeah, but who is she and what does she want?" Neither of them had an answer for that. As they both ran to hide, the same thought was on both their minds. They needed to find that girl and talk with her.


	5. Crush now Girlfriend

When Marinette had gotten home from the fight at the jewelry store, she had been freaking out, to much to talk to Wayzz or listen to what he had to say. Knowing he wasn't going to be getting anything useful done until Marinette calmed down, he had gone to sleep in his terrarium hoping the next day his wielder would be much calmer.

Now Kwamiis dreamed just as humans did. Their dreams usually consisted of memories from the past twisted around into alternate scenarios of what happened. Tonight was different though. For the first time since Master Fu had died, Wayzz dreamed about him.

 _Wayzz found himself sitting on an old futon, the cushions below him were cozy and comfortable. He looked around and saw a familiar living room. Crawling to the top of the futon the little kwami's heart nearly burst. Coming into the room was Master Fu!_

 _"Master Fu! You're alive! I've missed you so much!" Wayzz flew towards him and tried to give him a hug, only to pass right through him. Turning around he looked at his former wielder, only now noticing the soft blue glow surrounding him. "You're a spirit now."_

 _"Yes I am old friend. I have joined with my ancestors and I faithfully watch over you and Marinette," he said as he gave the little turtle a wrinkled smile. He gestured to the futon as the both took a seat on it. Master Fu stretched out his body with no pain. "Ah, one good thing about being a spirit is no more pain in my back. I haven't felt this good in years!" Wayzz gave him a small smile happy that he was no longer in pain._

 _Wayzz moved closer to the spirit. "Master Fu, have I done well? I have been working hard with Marinette. She's done good work so far. She's still a bit too eager to jump in and help. She's improved in spirituality, it's not where I would like it to be."_

 _Fu laughed gaily as he swept his hand over his shell as if he was petting him. "Oh, Wayzz you know Marinette will always have the desire to help and not be as spiritual as you or I. She was meant to be a Ladybug, but she's becoming a fine Turtle. You've done a good job with training her." He frowned though at the kwami indicating that Wayzz had done something wrong._

 _Wayzz hung his head as he waited to learn what he had done wrong. When Master Fu didn't speak to him, he slowly raised his head hoping his spirit hadn't gone yet._

 _He hadn't, but he did have a concerned expression on his face. "Old friend, I know you are grieving still for me. While I can't stop you from doing that, I'm worried that you're grieving too hard. When my master died you didn't hold on so tightly to your pain."_

 _Wayzz stiffened a bit. "As you recall Master Fu, the circumstances surrounding the events of Master Zhu's death and the events that followed are vastly different then what happened with you."_

 _"Yet they are connect to what happened to me and what Miss Marinette will have to face in the near future. Since I have become a spirit I have felt_ _ **him**_ _gaining strength. It is possible_ _ **he's**_ _found a way around his prison walls. You must reveal the truth to her."_

 _Wayzz shook his head. "She's not ready for the truth. If she learned what happened all those years ago and about_ _ **him**_ _, she will not be able to handle her duties. The truth will break her in half and she might go back on her oath."_

 _Master Fu turned towards his old friend with a stern look on his face. His spiritual body glowed brightly. Physical pain no longer had a hold on him, but emotional pain did not go away, especially for a spirit._

 _"Wayzz, I know it is painful for you to recall those memories. It was terrible what happened, even now as a spirit, I must live with the pain. I can do nothing to help Marinette in the physical world, but you can. We all knew there was a chance_ _ **he**_ _would come back after I died."_

 _He took a deep breath and looked his former kwami in the eye. "I should have taken on another apprentice and not let the past have such a hold on me. You will tell her the whole truth and prepare her for what she must do. Finding Duusu is important step to helping her succeed."_

 _"You believe she is the_ _One?_ _Master Fu, I will do my best and I promise to tell her the truth about everything soon." Master Fu nodded. He faded away and the dream came to an end._

Wayzz opened his eyes and stretched. He knew that dream was not a regular dream, but a meeting between the realms of life and death. Watching Marinette get ready for school he knew in his gut he must tell her the whole truth he'd been hiding. Soon, but right now he needed to help her deal with being seen.

* * *

Marinette sat down at her desk as she finished wrapping Nathalie's hat. She would have Adrien deliver it during lunch period. "You must be disappointed that I was seen yesterday. I reacted to the situation and tried to get away before being seen, but I didn't move fast enough."

"You saved your fellow Miraculous wielders lives. That is more important than staying hidden. You would have had to introduce yourself eventually." He was glad that Marinette looked very relieved to hear she hadn't messed up. The girl's self esteem was slowly growing, but it didn't take much to knock it over. "You must take this slowly though. Give them a few days to process this before you set up a meet and greet."

How can they process this, if I don't leave some sort of sign of who I am and that I'm not an enemy? Maybe Tikki and Plagg can help talk to them. I'm worried though what Hawkmoth will do to make Nooroo talk. Please be okay Nooroo.

* * *

Indeed, Hawkmoth was in the middle of interrogating a frightened Nooroo. His mere presence had Nooroo on the ground covering his face. "Please, stop! I can't answer any questions with your anger building up inside me. It poisonous!" Indeed, his mauve coloring was changing to a sickly pale white.

"I'll get a lot more angry if you don't start explaining who that person was that rescued Ladybeetle and Chat Noir! You told me that you were the only other Miraculous in active use!"

"I warned you the Great Guardian would come and find me. The Turtle is always the Great Guardian! The Guardian must have been nearby and acted to save the heroes, as is the Guardian's duty."

Nooroo was picked up and squeezed tightly. "You've been withholding information from me? Did you lie when you told me you couldn't tell me anything about the Great Guardian?!"

"No, there are consequences for Kwamiis when they reveal secrets of the others because it's forbidden to do so. I didn't fake my wings burning. Had you kept pushing me to talk about the Guardian's kwami I would have burned half my body. Please don't make me burn."

Hawkmoth growled as his free hand clutched his Miraculous. If he didn't need Nooroo's help, he would gladly let the little god burn. With this new player in the game, he might never get the earrings and ring. Reigning in his temper he spoke in a calm voice. "Very well Nooroo. I command you to tell me what you can about the Great Guardian."

"The Great Guardian is the protector of the Miraculouses. The Guardian chooses the wielders and retrieves them if they are no longer needed or being abused. A Guardian is very much like a real turtle. Patient and wise, only making a move when the time is right."

"If the Guardian is the one who retrieves the Miraculouses then why didn't the Guardian come after you themselves?" He was trying to determine the level of threat this Guardian was to him. Plus, it would help to know the gender of the Guardian. He hadn't been able to sense that.

"The Guardian chose Ladybeetle and Chat Noir to counter your evil actions. The Guardian won't make an active move until they are sure that Ladybeetle and Chat Noir are strong enough to defeat you."

"How does the Guardian plan to do that? From what you've said, this Guardian is someone who just sits and watches. If this person only acted to save the two heroes lives from being crushed, then they're not much help."

"You should not underestimate someone based on first impressions. That is all I will say on the subject."

Hawkmoth was frustrated. He learned next to nothing. The only thing useful was knowing whoever this Great Guardian was, they wouldn't interfere with his plans directly. Whatever powers this person had clearly weren't strong enough for a direct confrontation. Should this person come looking for Nooroo they would find themselves in the fight of their life.

"This Great Guardian appearance means nothing has changed. This person is too much of a coward to face me. If the only power they have exhibit is a shield, then I can crack that easily. Eat while you can Nooroo. We'll be making more powerful akumas soon."

* * *

Mireille was haphazardly getting her new scrapbook material out of her drawer for the club meeting later today. Tikki was really encouraging her to be more creative these days. "You need to get really creative and spend time with other people so that you can figure out your Lucky Charms faster."

"Oh, really, well okay," Mireille stated in a distracted tone. She looked at her computer screen, but the LadyNoir blog hadn't changed. For once Alya had missed an attack and no one else had seen the strange girl. "Tikki, you would tell me if there's another Miraculous user active right?"

"It would depend on the circumstances. You once asked me why I couldn't tell you everything you wanted to know about your partner and those rules are still in place. While some are inconvenient at times, they do help wielders stay alive and protect their families."

Mireille shoved her drawer closed angrily. "Those rules haven't helped Chat Noir or me in finding Hawkmoth. You told me I was chosen to fight evil and that I would save Paris." The girl pointed at her kwami and point blanked asked her if all she was ever going to do was save Paris daily from Hawkmoth's akumas or was this ever going to end.

Tikki started rubbing her paws together trying to figure out how to answer that question. Technically speaking, Ladybeetle had seen the Great Guardian/Peridot Turtle, meaning she could open up a bit about Marinette. At the same time, she firmly believed that telling Mireille about the Great Guardian and their role was too soon and would cause trouble with the team dynamics.

"Fine keep your secrets, I don't see what good they'll do if who we saw turns out to be a threat," Mireille growled as she started to storm away.

"WAIT!" Tikki actually phased through Mireille, who felt like she had been tickled from the inside, and hovered in front of her. "I know rules can be hard to follow, but as your kwami I'm trying to look after your best interests."

Mireille crossed her arms waiting for some answers. "What if I don't agree with your idea of my best interests?" Her eyes flashed and Tikki realized this was more than just about a glimpse of another Miraculous user or an akuma who managed to get through the magical suit. The girl's anger was hiding the fact her confidence had been shaken.

"I am a little overprotective of my bugs. I don't like seeing them getting hurt. I can tell you that who you saw yesterday was another Miraculous user and that girl put herself in great danger to save your life. She might not make another appearance for a time, but I do believe she's a friend."

* * *

Meanwhile with Adrien, Plagg was being a bit more helpful to him. Cheese heads knows why. More likely than not, he didn't want the kid to be worrying himself to death. So while Adrien prepared for the day in his glorious bathroom, Plagg told him what he could.

"You didn't imagine the girl, she really was there. It was her power that saved you from being buried alive."

Adrien put on his deodorant and looked at Plagg. "I couldn't tell if what her animal was based on. It was either a turtle or a tortoise."

"Turtle, don't ever forget that. Her kwami is highly defensive about being wrongly identified." He snickered as he remembered the last time someone called Wayzz a tortoise. That curse had lasted a full week!

The next few minutes were relatively quiet as Adrien brushed, gargled, and flossed making sure his breath was minty fresh. "You've met her kwami before?"

"Kitten, all Kwamiis know each other. We're all like brothers or sisters, someone once compared us to matching set of dishes if you can picture that. Like I can't reveal anything personal about Ladybeetle or her kwami, the same applies to this girl."

"So you can't tell me if she's friend or foe. Well I'll just have to wait until she contacts us or shows up again." Adrien finished brushing his hair and started to walk out the bathroom door when he paused. "Plagg, you call me kitten and Ladybeetle told me her kwami calls her bug. So what's the nickname for a turtle?"

"That I can tell you. Its hatchling, maybe you should use that in a joke when you meet her again."

* * *

When Marinette got to school, Alya was all over her. "Girl, Nino just told me what happened yesterday! I can't believe you got to help at another photo shoot and you didn't tell me! You must really be crushing hard to do something sneaky like that."

"I wasn't there to spy on Adrien! I went there to get some inspiration and his photographer just happened to spot me."

Alya wiggled her eyebrows in a suggestive manner, a telltale sign she didn't believe that. "Girl, don't try to deny it. You're in love!" She actually sang it as if she was Muse from the Disney' Hercules movie. She was rewarded with her best friend blushing up a storm. Then Marinette started to yell at her.

Nino watched from a distance. He liked Alya, as in really liked. He did wish she would tone the dial down on the matchmaking department. Spotting Adrien, he walked over to him. "Hey Adrien. I finished that CD mix you wanted. Here you go."

"Thanks Nino." He let out a yawn and apologized. "Yesterday's photo shoot ended with an akuma attack. When my Dad heard what happened he was furious. He's going with a different store to sell his male accessory line. I feel sorry for the store owner."

Nino nodded, "Yeah, but you can't blame your dad for that one. Heads up, Alya wants to interview you about the attack. She is convinced it's the end of the world that she missed her chance to film the latest attack."

Adrien rolled his eyes. "Trust me, she didn't want to be there. Hiding in the back trying to avoid being impaled by gemstones is not fun. I'm surprised Marinette was able to escape without harm." He blushed remembering that after the fight, he frantically searched for her only to see she had managed to get out after crawling from one display to the next.

Nino knew that look in his friend's eyes. He was crushing hard on Marinette. Since day one, Adrien had been fascinated by the girl that had accidentally run into him before he started school. Nino wondered if his friend realized how much he talked about Marinette on a daily basis.

Alya was wondering the same thing about Marinette. As much as her best friend tried to deny it, Marinette did or said things indicating she really liked Adrien. Whether it was messing up her words or unconsciously started writing his name down in her notes, Alya knew that they would be perfect for each other. The main problem is that Marinette doesn't act like she's afraid to tell him and take a chance. She acts more like she can't tell him as if doing so is forbidden. Come to think of it that is the same way Adrien acts. We'll I'm going to fix that.

"So, who's the present for? Did you make something for Adrien?"

"No, I made something for his father's personal assistant. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to give this to Adrien, so he can bring it back to her." Alya watched the scene as Marinette walked confidently over to Adrien and give him the wrapped hatbox without tripping at all. It was a small miracle.

* * *

Ms. Bustier class was in for a surprise when they entered the classroom. Chloe was in her usual seat, but Sabrina wasn't sitting with her. In fact, Sabrina was nowhere in class. To make things even stranger, Chloe had forgone her signature gold jacket and now wore a glossy brown one. What was going on?

"Everyone, please take your seats. We have a lot to cover today."

"Where's Sabrina?" Mylene asked in a worried tone. Since Akumas started popping up, a missing classmate was usually a sign that they had been Akumatized.

"Mylene, you know I can't…"

"Please Ms. Bustier, we need to know if we should be worried about an attack on the class," Ivan implored. The others nodded in agreement. All of them, except maybe Alya, wanted to avoid another class disruption.

"Very well, Sabrina Raincomprix is absent today because she's sick. She's not missing and her father assured us she is not in an upset state that might attract an akuma. Now will you all sit down so we can get started for the day?"

Reassured that their classmate wasn't going to attack them, they were able to concentrate on their classwork. The exception was Nathaniel who kept glancing at Sabrina's empty seat. He really hoped she was okay. Being sick was no fun.

Chloe didn't seem bothered at all that her friend was absent. In fact she appeared to be actually _happy_ her friend was missing. Throughout the class period, the mayor's daughter didn't take notes or answer questions directed at her annoying the teacher. She just sat there looking bored and glancing at the clock to see if it was time to leave yet.

Only when lunchtime came did she make her move. "Adrikins it's been too long since we've had any quality us time. I've arranged for a private lunch for us at the Le Grande Paris. I've made sure the head chef made us an exquisite meal. Now come along, my limo is waiting for us."

Adrien tried to protest, pointing out that his father was very strict about his lunch hour. Four days a week at home, one day to eat at school no exceptions. He had let Marinette's lunch visit slide because the girl had been having a conference with his assistant, but not to do it again.

"Adrikins, this is getting old. Our fathers have been friends for years. Your father will thank me for getting you a real meal instead of what's served here. Now let's go." Before anyone could stop her, Adrien was dragged out the door, without Nathalie's present.

He really didn't want to go with her. His energies are all over the place. I better go tell his bodyguard what happened. Adrien doesn't need this kind of trouble. Snatching up the hatbox, Marinette hurried outside.

The Gorilla was tapping his feet wondering where his charge was. He hoped the boy wasn't goofing off. He knew how much Adrien wanted to see more of Paris and be part of it. He didn't think he'd risk it by going out to explore during his lunch hour.

He heard footsteps coming closer to the limo, but they were softer then Adrien. He glanced up to see the girl Adrien had invited to lunch that one time. She was holding a wrapped hatbox. "Hello sir. I don't know if you remember me, but I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a friend of Adrien's."

The Gorilla waited for her to continue to speak knowing how easily people were intimated by his bulk. "Ms. Bourgeois set up a private lunch for the two of them at the Le Grade Paris. He didn't want to go, but she dragged him out of the classroom."

The Gorilla nodded turning back to the car when he was tapped on the shoulder. The girl was holding out the hatbox. "The hat I promised for Ms. Sancoeur. You'll make sure it gets to her?" He nodded as he delicately took the hatbox and placed it safely inside the car. Without another word he left to get his young charge.

* * *

At the hotel, Chloe was smiling happily after weeks of trying, she finally was having her alone time at time with Adrien. "As you can see I have everything prepared for our lunch," she said indicating the empty restaurant. The window drapes had been partially closed so the sun would not get in their eyes. A string quartet sat in one corner playing music as the servers came out of the kitchen with covered dishes of food.

"I would love a ten course meal however we don't have time so we'll only be able to have five. So shall we eat our first course? I decided to replace the plain and yucky soup course with something a bit more glamorous." She looked at the carefully planned fruit and vegetables salad that had been shaped to look like her head.

"Only the freshest and highest grade food was used in this meal. I made them wash their hands six times before, during, and after they prepared this meal so that we wouldn't have to worry about getting any germs."

"It looks delicious Chloe, but I don't know if my dad would let me eat something this rich." His old friend gave him a dazzling smile and urged him to eat before the next course came. He took a few bites of the salad, wondering if Chloe had requested an exotic spice because there was something unusual about the taste.

"Hmm, this salad didn't turn out right. Obviously it's not the taste I was going for. Alya's mom better deliver on the grilled halibut and potatoes. If this meal isn't perfect, then she can consider herself fired."

Adrien frowned at hearing that. It had been hard for him to admit, but Plagg was helping him understand there was no such thing as being perfect. What really made something perfect; was how happy it made you feel when you did or saw something. "I don't think the salad is that bad. It just tastes a little different."

"That's the problem Adrien. When are you going to wake up and realize that you're being used by commoners? Nino, ugh can you believe the stuff he puts on the school radio system? Don't get me started on his lame DJ gig. Did you know he asked if he could DJ a party at the hotel?! I made sure the doorman sent him packing."

Chloe took notice the next course was out and started eating it. It was much better than the previous dish though she wish it looked better with the presentation. "I can understand my father hiring Mrs. Cesare as his chef even if she's a bit slow on what perfect means. Alya should be thankful for the leftovers from the restaurant, how else would she stay in her large fitting ugly flannel shirt?"

By now Adrien wasn't eating. He looked at Chloe in disbelief. Did she not care what came out of her mouth was offensive? "Do you talk like this with Sabrina?" he asked incredulity. "What you said to her was harsh Chloe. It wasn't polite at all to call your best friend a hypochondriac and tell her you didn't want her near you again."

"Please Adrien, try to keep up. I'm doing Sabrina a favor. Once she sees that she's being selfish about this whole pretend health issue and apologizes for abandoning me, she'll be right back where she belongs. My number one helper. Unlike that Maritrash, Sabrina knows how to respect her betters. I'd need a list a mile long to cover how pathetic Maritrash is."

The Gorilla had finally made it to the restaurant when he heard sounds of something shattering and high pitched scream. He rushed out of the elevator to protect his charge when he saw what was going on.

Ms. Bourgeois was covered with fish and potatoes, her glass of crystal water shattered near the table. The servers and the musicians looked shocked, as the Mrs. Cesare had come out of the kitchen trying not to laugh at the sight. Standing next to the table was Adrien.

He gave his old friend a cold look before shaking his head. "What happened to you Chloe? You use to be so kind, fun, and nice to everyone. I can't stand who you've become. Most importantly," he whispered tightly staring directly in her eyes. "I can't sit here and listen to you bad mouth every one of my friends, especially Marinette, who did nothing accept treat me like a person."

He started to walk away from her. Chloe got up and demanded he come back here and help her find a new outfit to wear, after apologizing for being so disrespectful to her.

"You wouldn't know what respect is Chloe if it walked up and talked to you. You like giving threats well here's mine," the model twisted around to see her. "Until you learn respect for my friends and me, then I won't have anything to do with you." He gave a cat like grin as he came up with an idea on the spot.

"If you can learn to change before the end of the school year, then I'll apologize and we can be friends again. If not, then for my own health, I'll have to cut you out of my life."

Without another word, Adrien left with the Gorilla as the rest of the staff returned to their duties leaving Chloe alone in the restaurant. Tightening her hand on her choker, she wished she could use it to choke Marinette to death for poisoning Adrien's mind.

* * *

Sabrina was in her bed trying to rest, but she just couldn't. Her stomach clenched as pain shot through her body. Her head was hurting badly. When she had come home last night she barely had the strength to stand. Her stress induced symptoms seemed to be getting worse.

It wasn't just physical. She had loved Chloe like a sister. She had done so much for her and now she was rejected, being called a drama queen and a liar. Her classmates had been trying to help her for years, but she didn't listen to them. Now seeing they were telling the truth was causing her emotions to flip flop. How could she ever feel good about herself again after how blind she had been?

"I'll never have any friends. Not after the way I've acted. I'm truly an awful person. What will Chloe do now that I'm not doing her homework? Why do I even care about that!" she yelled out loud, unable to keep her racing thoughts to herself.

There was a knock on the door. "Sabrina, are you feeling okay? Do you need to take your lorazpam?"

"I'm fine Mom, really I just need some time to myself."

"Does that mean you want me to send your friends away?"

Sabrina sat up in bed. Friends? She didn't have any besides Chloe and now she didn't even have her. Curious to see who had come to visit her she told her mom to let them in. To her total surprise all the girls from her class, Nathanial, along with Mireille entered her room.

"Hi Sabrina, we heard you were sick and so we brought this care package with us for you. Everyone in class put something in it," Marinette said as she placed a beautifully decorated basket, with ribbons, glitter covered letters, and happy faces, on the bed.

"I helped decorate the basket, well sort off. I gave some of my scrap booking supplies to the girls so they could make the basket look extra nice," Mireille commented from the side. She was smiling and looked happy to see Sabrina.

Sabrina looked at the basket in disbelief. Nathaniel stepped forward, his face matching his hair color. "Um, I didn't know you were um allergic to flowers, but I made these paper ones' for you." He held out a bouquet of different paper flowers that looked very life like.

It was such a sweet thing to do. No one except my dad's ever given me flowers before. I wonder what's in the basket. Reaching inside she slowly started to pull out items from the basket.

It was easy to identify what boy gave her what. The CD labeled, Get Well Soon Tunes, had to have come Nino. A brand new personalized eyeglasses case was from Adrien. Kim had given her a lucky charm similar to the one he kept in his pocket when he ran races. Max had given her some new supplies to help her with homework assignments while Ivan had gotten her a pin with diamond on it.

"There's still more in there. We each got you something. I made you a batch of our new cinnamon bread recipe. I hope you like it," Marinette told Sabrina, who looked like she really wanted to try it, despite having some digestions issues.

"The phone cover is from me of course. I hope you don't mind it being Ladybeetle themed." Sabrina whispered it was okay and that she loved it.

Alix had promised her lessons on how to skate, but then changed it when Sabrina admitted she didn't even know how to ride a bike, promising to help her with that. Mylene gave her a ticket to her dad's upcoming show in a few weeks, hoping she be well enough to attend.

Rose of course got her a pink teddy bear to keep her company while she recovered. Juleka gave her a book, a gothic romance, for her to read while she recovered. It was obvious Chloe hadn't donated anything, but that didn't matter. Sabrina was happy.

"Thank you for the nice gifts, but I don't understand why. Why did you do this for me?"

"Because you're sick and we wanted you to know we cared about you no duh," Alix commented from the desk chair she was sitting on. Sabrina still looked confused not understanding how a class she tormented alongside Chloe could care for her.

Marinette, who was sensing the unease in the spiritual energy inside Sabrina, spoke up. "Sabrina, you are not Chloe you know that right? A person should be held accountable by their own actions as well define themselves by who they are."

"Marinette's right. We all want to give you a chance to show you what real friendship is like. Maybe even help you learn to fall in love," Mireille said, enjoying Nathanial's blushing face. It was obvious he'd been crushing on Sabrina for a while.

"If you need our help we'll be there to lend a helping hand," Nathanial managed to get out. Sensing they were overwhelming her, the group left after saying some nice goodbyes.

Sabrina looked at her mom, who had tears in her eyes. "You're so lucky Sabrina. With a group of such nice friends, I'm sure you'll start to feel better soon."

* * *

Marinette's parents were really proud of her actions when she got home that night and talked about what the class had done. "We're very proud of you Marinette. Helping a classmate feel better is always a good deed. When it's for someone who has wronged you in the past that you are giving a second chance to is more meaningful," Sabine told her as they ate dinner.

Marinette blushed and gave her a small smile. "The whole class decided to make her the get well basket. Some of us were still scared she might be turned into an akuma. Others, such as myself and Adrien, thought we should try to get to know the real Sabrina."

Tom took a sip from his drink nodding. "Your friend Adrien sounds like a wise young man. This is your chance to help a classmate and maybe gain a new friend. You two did good work on that physics project." He paused as he curled his mustache as he recalled that project. "Wasn't that the one Chloe didn't help either of you finish?"

"Oh yes, it was, but I got an A on it remember? That's how hard I worked on it. I totally deserved it," she stated frantically. They didn't need to know she let Chloe get a grade she didn't deserve. She poked her fork around her vegetables for a few minutes before changing the subject. "We're holding class elections next week so that should be interesting. Oh, I was wondering if I could have Saturday off."

Tom and Sabine shared looks with one another. While the last day of the week wasn't the busiest at the shop, they made many delivers that day before taking the food they couldn't sell to a donation center where struggling families would get extra food for free to help their family survive the next week. Marinette usually helped with the deliveries so the family could get to the donation center early.

"Why do you need Saturday off? Did you finally arrange a meeting for training to become to help you become a business owner?"

Marinette scratched her head and smiled sheepishly. "Well that training is starting the following Saturday. I sort of, without realizing it, accidentally signed myself up to be the producer, for our class's entry to student film festival and I need to be there on Saturday."

Sabine arched an eyebrow in surprise. "How do you accidentally sign up for something like that?"

"Well I thought I was just signing up for extra tutoring in physics, but I got distracted when Alya came over and started showing her newest blog information to me and I forgot to put the pencil down," Marinette shrugged. "Sorry."

Her parents laughed and had tears in their eyes. Only their Marinette would do something like this. "Anything else that we need to be aware of? It might be helpful if we all write down everything that's going on a big calendar that we could hang somewhere above us."

Tom snapped his fingers agreeing with his wife. They could make a few of them, one for Marinette's room, so she would remember everything she had to do, one for the whole family up here, another in the bakery. Perhaps one more for him and his wife.

The little family spent a lot of time after dinner making these master schedules. Choosing colors to represent different family members was fun. Each of them struggled with trying to make sure the master schedules didn't roll back up as they tried to finish writing times out. It happened three times to each one of them getting smacked in the face. They also had a little trouble getting them all up, but in the end it was perfect.

Wayzz floated over as Marinette finished putting up her schedule. "It's very impressive, but I don't see any notes about our sessions. Are you sure you're going to remember where we've been or what we've covered so far?"

"Wayzz, don't worry. I made sure to add that information, you just can't see it right now under normal light. Hold on a second." She turned off the lights in her room and shone a special flashlight on the schedule. Instantly everything she had to do for her training was lit up. She also showed him a notebook she had been keeping notes with that also glowed under the special light.

She flipped the lights back on, "I decided to start trying my hand at clothes that fluoresces under different light. So I got this special flashlight as part of a kit for experimentation. It also came with special pens. No one will ever be able to find my secrets."

"That is very wise of you to think that far ahead. I wish you hadn't signed us up for the film festival on Saturday. We still have to check out all those other stores for Duusu."

"It won't be a waste of time, I promise you Wayzz. Besides, I have very strong feeling that Duusu isn't at any jewelry store. We should be looking for whoever last had her instead." Yawning, Marinette went up to her bed, changed under the covers, and was soon sound asleep.

"I tell her soon. Let her have a few more days off."

* * *

Of course Hawkmoth couldn't let anyone have a few good days or a week or so. For example, on Saturday when the class had been filming their fake horror movie it turned into a real one when Chloe, who showed up unannounced, demanding the lead actress role and frightened Mylene so much she ran in the bathroom to hide.

Ivan, who was doubling as security as well as the monster escorted Chloe off the premises. He never saw Chloe's pleased expression on her face as she left the building. Laughing softly, Chloe walked off.

What happened next turned out to be the scariest time in Chat Noir's life. When Mylene was transformed into Horrificator, he found himself alone and on his own. With the goo trapping them all inside and keeping everyone else out, he had to figure out a way to stop the Akuma without Ladybeetle's help.

When he told his classmates his plan was to get the hidden object from Mylene and destroy it along with the akuma, Marinette had quickly told him that was a bad idea. "Do you really want to add more negative energy to an akuma? It could backfire and you'd be hurt severely," she had said. She had suggested he try creating a small opening in the goo covered walls to call Ladybeetle.

Chat Noir had looked at her strangely. For some reason, which he couldn't explain to Ladybeetle later, he had listened to her. He had focused all his energy into a Cataclysm attack and managed to break open a hole wide enough for the slender Ladybeetle to slide in and purify Mylene. They both agreed that they never wanted something like this to happen again.

Then on Monday everyone thought things would be perfect. Max and Kim had been elected as the class rep and deputy respectfully. They went through the whole school day without any incidents. It wasn't until everyone was leaving for after school activities when Mr. D'Argencourt, angry about his loss against Mayor Bourgeois, had transformed into Darkblade.

Thankfully, Ladybeetle and Chat Noir defeated him before he got his flag to city hall. Marinette didn't want to spend the rest of her life as a knight in armor. She had asked Wayzz if there was any way to avoid being transformed by an Akuma's power only for the little turtle to tell her, that while as the Great Guardian, she could resist longer, she'd still eventually fall under an akumas power.

The night before her small business training class, Marinette got an unexpected phone call. "Adrien, this is a surprise. Um can I help you with something?" she asked blushing furiously. Maybe she should have surgery so she wouldn't blush so much? Just thinking about the boy was making her body go into a "love sick" mode.

"Hi Marinette, I know this is kind of last minute, but so you know Mylene's dad is performing tomorrow at the Eiffel Tower right?" His voice was a little squeaky. At his end of the line Adrien was trying not to glare as Plagg watched him talk with an amused smile on his face.

"Yeah, I have my ticket in the front row. Mylene mentioned that Sabrina and her father were also going to attend with the tickets she gave her. It will be the first time she's been out in public since she got sick."

"Yes, that is nice, it's great! I actually called, I was wondering, you know since we're such good friends owwwwwwww!" Plagg had actually bitten his kitten and gestured with his little paws to hurry up already.

"Everything okay?" Marinette asked. She noticed Wayzz rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath about Plagg's antics. One raised eyebrow and Wayzz was silent.

"Yeah, I just stubbed my toe on my pool table. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the show together. I mean I could pick you up and hopefully sit together if our tickets are close enough together."

Marinette's eyes got really big and they started sparkling. Her imagination conjured up a dating scenario of Adrien putting his arm around her and she was leaning into him for a kiss. She opened her mouth to say yes, when Wayzz floated up to her and started shaking his head no with enough force it was a wonder his head didn't pop off.

It was very clear he didn't want her to go out with Adrien and pointed to her schedule on the ceiling. "Adrien, I would love to do that, but I don't know how long my introduction to small business training will be. If I get done on time I'll call you to pick me up. How does that sound?"

"Yeah that's great! I'll be waiting for your call. Bye!"

Marinette put her phone down and looked at her kwami. "What was that all about? What's wrong with me accepting an invitation from Adrien to go watch the show together?"

"A Great Guardian must put their duty first. You are still in training young hatchling. I know how much you want to go to the show. I enjoy a little pantomime myself, but we already missed one Saturday of looking for Duusu. Between your class tomorrow and the show, we have exactly two and half hours to search for Duusu." He folded his arms and gave her a stern look.

Wayzz finally remembered some information about Duusu's last wielder and he wanted them to go to the Paris Public Library to search records and the paper archives to help narrow down Duusu's location. "You made a promise that your first mission would be finding Duusu no matter what. I understand that you like Adrien and that you would like to be more than friend, but a Great Guardian must prioritize."

Marinette looked downhearted upon hearing that. She knew any relationship would be difficult due to her aging differently because of her bond, but she didn't know that meant no romance at all. As much as she tried to deny it, Alya was right. She did like Adrien, no loved him, and the only reason she hadn't asked him out yet was because she'd been afraid that Wayzz would tell it was forbidden.

"Can I go out with him after I find and rescue Duusu?" she asked hopefully. Wayzz waved his little flippers vaguely indicating that he wasn't sure. The situation was a wait and see. "I guess I better make sure I have everything I need tomorrow for the class."

She had left some of the paperwork downstairs on the table as she left the room. Wayzz hung his head and pressed his flipper against Master Fu's ashes. He could feel the spiritual energy connected to them. "I know, you're mad at me. I promised to tell her the truth and I've tried. It's not been a good time. Once Duusu is safe again, I promise I'll tell her."

* * *

When Marinette appeared downstairs the next morning she looked a little sad. Tom thought she was nervous about her first training session, but Sabine had seen that look before. So while her husband went downstairs to get started on the deliveries for that day, she asked. "Did something happen last night? I heard you talking on the phone. You sounded happy."

Putting her spoon down, she told her mom about last night's conversation, save the part with Wayzz discouraging her. "I really would like to go with Adrien to the show. Have some one on one time, but I felt like I couldn't."

"Because you have so many responsibilities and dreams in the works? Marinette you are an amazing girl. You do so many things for different people. You help at the bakery, babysit Manon, while staying on top of your homework and taking care of a rare pet. You continue to design even as you work towards your goal of eventually owning your own studio/store."

Sabine placed her hand over his daughter smiling. She tilted her head to the side where a picture of her and Tom on their wedding day hung. There were also pictures of Marinette's friends too. "Remember to take some time for yourself. You're still a teenager and you should enjoy it while you can." Seeing her daughter smile made Sabine feel good. "Now get ready and I'll drop you off at your class. Don't want to be late for your first training session."

When Marinette arrived at the center that would be hosting the small business training course for the next few weeks, she felt a bit overwhelmed. She was by far the youngest person there. Everyone else looked older, confident, and had high tech gadgets to help them during these courses. All she had was some sketches, a notebook, and a few pens.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, no I have to stick with this. I promised Papa that I wouldn't give up. I can do this!" she whispered to herself. Signing in she took a seat near the middle of the class. Close enough to see and hear everything while giving her the space she needed to concentrate.

"Good Morning everyone, my name is Mr. Small, yes laugh people it's funny. You can call me Samson if it's easier for you. I will be leading you through these courses over the next few weeks," a good looking man about thirty five spoke with a charismatic voice. "You are all here today, because you have a dream, to make something of yourselves through careful planning and hard work."

The others nodded all eager to get started. "Over this course you will learn the ten basic steps to creating and running a small business. Helping you through this will be my assistant teachers, who will help each of you learn more about the type of business you plan to run, whether it's setting up a business online or providing a service to the community, we'll help you reach your goal no matter what. So let's get started shall we? I'm sure you all have a lot of questions. So our first lesson will be answering twenty common questions before starting a new business."

Each person in the class was given a list with twenty questions and fill in the blank sections. Some of the questions were very obvious such as why you wanted to start a business or what type it would be. Marinette's pencil flew as she answered several of the questions quickly.

There were a few she didn't know the answer to yet. How was she going to insure her business? Was there an ongoing policy or had it expired upon Mr. Fu's death? Did she have a structure in place to do with the legal issues of owning a business? Did she need to take out a loan and would she be able to turn a profit in time to pay it back?

"Hmm, I need to take a closer look at those documents Ms. Benson left me, maybe even call her if she has some ideas of what I would be dealing when it comes to legal issues. I don't have to take out a loan, I can use the bank accounts to handle this one at a time. I'm sure my friends and family would be glad to help me out to save some money."

After everyone finished their lists, Mr. Small went over a few, giving advice on who you should talk to help a person out legal issues or gaining connections to help run the business. The next part of the lesson was going over each step in creating a business plan and making sure you had a backup plan as well. Reviewing her original notes, Marinette started to erase and rewrite some plans.

For the massage/spa she needed to review and update the information about businesses in the area that were similar to what Master Fu had. To make it stand out she should also think about a marketing strategy, she couldn't rely on old clients coming back under new management.

Three grueling hours later the class was over and Marinette had obtained a portfolio folder to hold everything from the class. Many of the assistant teachers had been impressed by how someone so young had been able to plan something this big out. Mr. Small had even put her in his group when they broke into smaller groups to start their training.

"He called me a natural business woman. I guess helping out at the bakery all my life really did help prepare me. I can't wait to show all this to Mama and Papa. They're going to be so happy for me."

Wayzz stuck his head out of her purse. "You should be very grateful for all the kind things they said. Good news is the class got out twenty minutes early, so that's more time we can spend at the library."

Marinette grumbled under her breath. After sitting through a nearly four hour class, the last thing she wanted to do was go to the library and sit doing research. Even if she skipped lunch to help with the donations delivery, she would make it just in time for the show, but no extra time with Adrien.

She looked at her phone ready to just forget the library and have fun. No, I can't think of myself right now, Duusu needs help. I'll ask Adrien after the show if he wants to hang out with me on a different day. Putting her phone away she took the bus to the public library, not aware across town, Adrien/Chat Noir was holding on another bus for dear life as an akumatized mime attacked him.

She barely made it to the show on time, thanks to Wayzz insisting they look through one more record. When she arrived, people were talking about the akuma attack earlier. A sense of guilt washed over her. From the sound of it, Le Mime had been a very difficult person to beat and many innocents would have been squashed by the Eiffel Tower if Ladybeetle's plan had failed.

How did previous Guardian do this? Maintain their distances, yet know when they needed to act? I'm trying so hard, but I can't help feel like it isn't enough.

"Hi Marinette!" a familiar voice called, causing her to jump and lose her portfolio. Scrambling, she bent down and started to pick up the papers. Adrien leaned down and helped her. "Sorry, I should know by now, how easily startled you get."

"It's okay, I should apologize to you. My class ended on time and I thought I could do a little more research at the library before I had to help my parents. I feel bad that I let you down."

Adrien appeared even more stunned hearing that. People let him down all the time, but no one had actually confessed they felt bad about it. That was another thing he loved about Marinette. "We can still do something together. We just need to figure out our schedules."

Marinette laughed remembering her giant size roll up calendar hanging from the ceiling. "You could come over and spend some time with my family? My Great Uncle Wang is coming to visit us for a few weeks. He's going to be appearing on the show, "World's Greatest Chef." Maybe you can help me with speaking a bit of Chinese. My mom tried and failed."

Adrien eyes lit up. He knew he could persuade his father and Nathalie to make room in his schedule for this. It would give him a chance to practice his Chinese, meet a world class chef who could give their own chef some ideas for new dishes, and best of all, he could spend time with Marinette!

* * *

A few days later Adrien arrived at the bakery. He was excited and couldn't wait to meet Marinette's family. He had been heavily warned that if he tried to sneak any treats, he would be banned from visiting Marinette again. The young superhero also thank any divine power that for some reason, his father approved of him being alone with Marinette.

Entering the bakery, he saw Sabine behind the counter. She looked at him with a very bright smile. "Hello there. You must be Marinette's friend Adrien. She told us you would be coming over today."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Cheng. Your bakery is lovely and heard the food is delicious."

"Thank you Adrien, please call me Sabine, it's what all Marinette's friends call me. Would you like to sample some of our food?" Adrien explained why he couldn't. Sabine could tell the boy really wanted to try some of the sweets. Maybe she could slip a few to him later. The boy was awfully thin for his age.

"Go on upstairs, I need to finish closing up the bakery. I know that Marinette is eager to see you."

He hurried upstairs knocked on the door. It was opened by a slightly overweight man in a chef's outfit. This must be Marinette's great uncle Wang Cheng. He greeted him in perfect Chinese and Wang Cheng responded in French.

"I have been trying to learn French since it is now the second language of my darling niece and her family. I thought that I could work on my French and help Marinette learn to speak Chinese. You are here to help as well?" he asked in Chinese once again.

Adrien nodded and came inside. It was a cozy little home and he liked the house very much. He liked the small size instead of the supersize mostly empty big rooms in his mansion. Also this house felt alive while his mansion reminded him of a tomb once in a while.

Currently Marinette and Tom were gaming in the living room while Wang watched them from the kitchen. He was practicing cooking his famous Celestial Soup for the show in a few weeks. He was experimenting with some flowers Marinette had given him earlier that day.

"You are going down this time Marinette! I'm going to get beat you this time."

"Not a chance. Here's my signature combo, yeah! I beat you!" Marinette cheered happily. She started dancing around and singing while her dad gave a fake moan of a despair. As she danced around she saw Adrien freezing up. "Hi Adrien I hear you didn't, no I mean you hear, ah ughhhhhh!" Both men in the room shared a knowing look. Ah to be young and in love again.

"You game? That's so cool! I didn't know you played Mega Strike III! I love that game, especially their new cat-bot. You like the ladybeetle one?"

"Just trying out something new is all. I keep switching bots trying to find one that feels just right. You want to have a go?" Very soon it was an all-out gaming war as Adrien tried to defeat Marinette who had switched bots, this time fighting as a kunonchi bot. They bantered between each other as they fought to win.

"Here it comes, Claw Swipe!"

"Way to leave yourself open! Ultimate Sword Slash! Yes I win! You sure gave me a challenge."

"It's nice to play against someone other than the computer for a change." There was a slight clicking sound and both teens turned around. Marinette started blushing. "Mama! Don't take pictures without asking!"

"Oh, but I rarely get the pleasure of seeing you having fun gaming with a friend. Besides Uncle Wang wants us to test taste his new celestial soup. I'm sure you'll both like it."

The soup smelled delicious and both were pretty hungry after such an epic match. Wang Cheng poured them each a portion of the soup. After they started eating everyone had compliments giving Adrien a chance to help Marinette with her Chinese and Wang with his French.

Marinette's problem was making the right mouth movements and getting her vocal chords to vibrate in the right way. Adrien demonstrated to her how to get her mouth to move right while using her fingers to feel how her vocal cords vibrated.

With Wang Cheng, his problem was he mixing up his tenses and syntaxes. He would correct him, if he got a tense work, explaining why and then telling him what tense was correct. Sabine and Tom helped with the syntax. They were both pleased with Adrien's manners and how patient he was when it came to helping others.

After the meal, Marinette invited him up to her room. She had already hidden Wayzz and his stuff. She could see Plagg peeking out from Adrien's jacket looking at her quizzically. He saw her eyes dart up to her balcony indicating where the other kwami was hiding at the moment.

"This must be your first time in a girl's bedroom. I know it's a lot of pink, it's my favorite color. It's a bit cramp I know."

Adrien shook his head. "It's cozy, my room might be twice as big, but it doesn't feel as homey as this. I really like your furniture. That chase looks very comfortable." He lay down on it and stretched out giving a little purr before slapping his hand over his mouth.

"That's a great cat impression! If being a model doesn't work out, maybe you should give being a comedian a chance," she teased him. He pouted and she told him not to be like that.

Adrien's eyes wandered over the room looking at all the crafting and fashion designs things. Instead of pictures on the wall, she had a bulletin board with everything about her dream pinned to it. He noticed some new papers attached to it. "Checking out different insurances coverage?"

"Yeah, thankfully the policy on the building itself didn't lapse since Mr. Fu died, so the building is okay. Right now, I'm looking for different insurance to cover the massage/spa when I get it back up and running. My parents suggested I go with their insurance company, but I'm hesitant."

She explained how her parents had agreed to help her cover the cost of the insurance policies in exchange for her working a couple extra hours at the bakery, but she didn't want them to use hard earn wages on helping her pay insurance policies.

"They're offering to help because they love you. You're such a young teen, with a pretty ambitious plan, but look how far you've come. You have a plan, are taking training courses, and you're very active in every aspect of the business process," he told her in awe. "You could have given my dad a run for his money when he was your age."

She honestly didn't know what to do with a compliment like that. It was nice to be compared to her idol and seen to be better. Since meeting Adrien, she had harbored a secret wish to meet his father. "That's kind of you to say. What is your father like? I know who he is as a business man and fashion designer, but I don't know him like you do."

Adrien tried to hide the pain in his eyes. He didn't know his father very well either. His father wasn't the easiest to get along with. He was so strict and controlling, which was not something he wanted to talk to Marinette about. "I don't know how to describe my father as a person. How I see him is different than others. I wouldn't want to ruin your image of him as an idol."

"I still would like to meet him and get to know more about you and your family. I mean, I think it would be an even trade. You've met my family, why can't I meet yours?"

It was adorable and hard to watch at the same time for Plagg. It was obvious that the Great Guardian still didn't know the truth about his kitten. Meanwhile his kitten looked ready to pounce on top of her and give her all sorts of kisses and cuddles. He hoped that his boy was smart enough to say yes.

* * *

That night in the Agreste House, father and son were in another "negotiation" session. Nathalie was getting a little annoyed serving as the living typist. I hope there comes a day when Adrien can talk with his father without Gabriel turning into a business meeting. Today's topic of conversation, having Adrien's friends and their parents coming over for dinner to meet his father and see what his home was like.

Adrien sat up straight up his posture perfect. He wasn't dressed in his usual clothes, but wore a suit very similar to his father's. The boy had a folder with him and he looked ready to fight for what he wanted and win. "I have a proposal for you to consider. My friends and their parents would like to come over for dinner to meet you and see the house." Taking the first page out he slid it towards his father, who glanced down at it.

"Why are you proposing this idea? Nathalie has kept me up to date on all your friends, I know what their parents do, and dinners are meant to be used to discuss business and make greater ties with our society." He slid the proposal back to his son waiting to see what he would do next.

"My friends are important to me. They made a lot of effort to include me in their lives and introduce me to their families. I have eaten meals with many of them. It would be the gentlemanly thing to do by returning the favor."

Adrien took out a few bios he had written up about his friends and their family, pointing out facts he learned by being with someone, not just studying a bunch of data. A meeting like this would help him make connections with his friends parents, whose connections would help his father's fashion house grow.

"Your reasoning is sound and you make some good points. A grand dinner with all of them at once won't give me as much chance to question their parents as I would like. The benefit would be that I can assess their parenting styles," Gabriel mused relaxing slightly. It went unsaid he would also look to see if the kids were a bad influence on him.

"Still, with such a big guest list and childish rivalries, what guarantee that your friends will act properly and not destroy our home?" He glanced down as his son present contracts and a detailed list of rules for the mansion. He would make sure everyone behaved.

"I suppose I could take time off early Friday night. It would give us enough time to get everything set up and ready for a proper dinner. I'll agree to this grand meal on one condition." He eyed his son as he gauged him.

Adrien's behavior had normalized for the most part. He still didn't understand why he was punning so much or how he gained a bit of boldness. Still, he needed to keep Adrien safe even if it meant caging him up so to speak.

Adrien listened as his father told him what he had to do. Inside his suit Plagg silently complained when he felt the kid stiffen up making it even tighter in the jacket. The old man had just ordered him to apologize to Chloe and make up for his behavior by doing something extremely nice for her. Chloe and her father both had accounts with his company making them wealthy clients, and their positions helped immensely with his growing business. Adrien accepted the deal knowing somehow he would regret it.

Over the next few days the mansion went under a transformation to make the already impressive house look more opulent. New chairs were purchased for the dining room table and all the silverware was polished until you could see your face in it. The kitchen was working overtime to prepare a feast that not only was low in fat and sugar, but was also tasty and didn't cause an allergic reaction in someone.

It was the night of the dinner and Adrien was still trying to get his formal look down. His hair was fluffing up as he tried to comb it down. His tie was not on yet and he really needed to get his shoes shined. "This is going to be a disaster. I have to apologize to Chloe in front of everyone and then ugh, I got to kiss her."

"You don't have to kiss her just because you know it will make her happy. You still have Plan B, which is the one you're going to use. I'll take care of the hair, you just finish with the shoes and tie." Plagg ordered.

He shuddered as he took the brush. The only time he ever had to deal with this was when his holders either went out on a first date or got married. When he saw Wayzz again he was going to chew that turtle out.

At exactly six thirty, the guest started arriving for dinner. The first guests were of course Chloe and the Mayor. While their fathers exchanged small talk, Chloe came over holding her hand up. Adrien kissed it. "It's a pleasure to have you here tonight Chloe. Your new gown is beautiful."

"Thank you for noticing Adrikins. It's one of a kind, made just for me." The dress was the same shade of brown as the Eiffel Tower. Parts of the dress including the detached sleeves were nude showing her skin. The skirt sparkled with gems. "I hope you remember what tonight is truly about."

Chloe sauntered off as Adrien welcome the rest of the guests. He couldn't believe how well his guys' friends cleaned up. They all had combed hair, wore appropriate clothing and were being very polite. The girl's all looked nice, he had to blink a few times to confirm that yes Alix was in a dress and she had dyed her hair back to its normal color.

His breath was taken away when he saw Marinette. She looked lovely in her light pink dress of her own design. "Hello Marinette, You look divine tonight. May I escort you inside My Princess?" Looking a little flustered she took his arm and let her guide him inside the mansion.

* * *

Inside the main foyer parents were making small talk with one another as Mr. Agreste circled the room meeting the parents one by one. The kids stood off to the side pointing out interesting things while Adrien answered their question. He then told them he could give them a quick tour of the house before dinner began.

His classmates enjoyed the tour, some remarking what they would do if they lived in a home this big. Adrien's bedroom was a huge hit with the class, the boys were clearly envious of all his toys. The girls loved his huge closet many wishing they had one, though not everyone was thinking of clothes. As he finished the tour, Nathalie announced it was time for dinner.

A seating chart had been set up so everyone knew where they had to sit. Of course, Chloe ended sitting across from him, but he very pleased he managed to arrange the seating where he was sitting next to the Dupain-Chengs. He hoped no one had been offended by the seating chart. Everyone seemed very pleased so he relaxed a little. Everything would be just fine.

Dinner was scrumptious and Mr. Agreste surprised himself, by finding many of the parents and their children, very interesting. While the Bourgeois were the only ones of the same social class, he found that he rather enjoyed the heartfelt conversations with the Dupain-Chengs and the Lahiffes. Nino was much easier to tolerate when he was scolded by his mom for using slang at a formal dinner.

He listened attentively as Mr. Cesare talked about his work at the Paris Zoo. "A rare black leopard, that most folks call a black panther, is coming to live at the zoo. He will be featured in our new exhibit we've been working on for months dedicated to the different cat classifications."

Kim looked puzzled. "Cats take classes?" Everyone giggled a little at that. Mr. Le Chien's explained to his son that all cats were classified by their size as either small, medium, or big. "That's sounds cool and getting a look at a rare panther would be aw I mean enjoyable. Max, do you think we could ask Ms. Bustier and Mr. Damocles if we could have our class trip to the zoo?"

Max thought about it. It would be both an educational and fun trip. The students could get a lot of fresh air, walk around instead of sitting all day, and it would be in the city cutting down costs. He talked with his parents for a few minutes. Both were professors at one of the universities in the city. "I believe we have an eighty five percent chance of convincing the headmaster that the trip would be worth it and that we can cover the costs of going."

"If you need some help with covering the cost, I'm sure we could help cover them. It would be a lovely opportunity for you children better educate yourselves. Getting out of the classroom once and while can be very healthy for kids your age," Mrs. Lavillant stated cheerfully.

"I can agree with that. It's also good to see all of you working together to help support one another. I wish my classmates had been as compassionate as you all are when I was in college," Mr. Couffaine remarked. His shy daughter silently agreed with him, happy to have such nice and kind friends.

The dinner continued for a bit longer, everyone enjoying themselves. Mr. Agreste cleared his throat and everyone looked at him expectantly. "I would like to thank all of you for coming tonight. It is not often that I am surprised, but tonight you all have done so. I admit I was not at all pleased when the children refused to tell the staff at the school, my son was there without permission.

Now I see that they all were doing what they thought was best for my son. I would like to thank you all for taking care of Adrien and giving him opportunities to socialize and better himself. I would also like to thank the rest of you for being good parents and making sure he is safe. I'm sure your children have learned a great deal from Adrien as well.

On that note, Adrien do you have something you would like to say?"

Adrien stood up nervously. He had been preparing himself all evening for this, well sort of, he had something else on his mind that he would be doing a bit later.

He bowed to Chloe. "I apologize for my rude words and childish behavior to you during our lunch. I should never lose my temper in the presences of a lady, and I hope that you will accept my heartfelt apology and accepted this gift as a sign of my sincerity," he said handing over a small box. He could almost feel Marinette tensing up, worried about what was in the box.

Chloe eagerly took the box. She was almost certain what it was, a promise ring with the pledge that Adrien would belong to her. When she opened the box, she couldn't hide her disappointment. "A front row ticket to XY concert in two months. How generous of you Adrien." Her mouth twisted into an angry scowl. If she was not in the presences of Mr. Agreste she would have made her displeasure known. "I accept your apology. I'm glad we can be friends again."

Too soon, it was time to leave. Everyone was saying their goodbyes and thanking Mr. Agreste and his staff for an enjoyable evening. Marinette and her parents were the last to go. "Excuse me Mr. Dupain-Cheng, if you can wait a few more minutes, there is something I would like to discuss with you and your wife, and of course Marinette. That is if you have a few more minutes too Father."

"I do have ten minutes to spare and would like to know what is on your mind. Shall we go to the seating room?" The small group entered the room and sat down. Marinette gave Adrien an encouraging smile.

"Mr. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, I would like to thank you for welcoming me into your family. It is honor to know you both and your daughter is also very wonderful and kind. I am very glad to have met her."

"We are honored to know you as well Adrien. You're such a kind and charming young man. I'm sure Marinette is happy to have met you as well, right dear?"

"Yes Papa, I enjoy your company Adrien." The boy's eyes lit up when he heard that.

"Then with your blessing I would like to date your daughter and be her boyfriend. That is if it acceptable to you Father and if that is what you want Marinette."

There was silence for a few minutes as everyone was shocked. Mr. Agreste recovered first. "Ms. Marinette is an exceptional young woman. I admire your ambition young lady to work towards creating your own design studio one day. Not many have the willpower to commit to such a plan. I also find your character refreshing and genuine. I believe you will make an excellent match with my son."

He gave the teen girl a small polite smile before he continued. "I have no problems with you and my son dating, as long as Adrien maintains his grades and your dates do not interfere with his schedule."

"We don't have a problem either and it would be nice to see you two spending more time together. Looking at you it almost seems as if you're destined for one another. Would you like to date Adrien Marinette?" Sabine asked.

Marinette was so happy she might exploded. She stood up gracefully and agreed that she would love to date Adrien and be his girlfriend. With everyone in agreement a new chapter had started in their lives.

* * *

 _Marinette couldn't believe she was back in the room again. She had been dreaming about her first date she planned with Adrien, only to find herself here. The first thing she did was check the door and saw a single peacock feather attached to the door which meant one thing._

" _Where are you Belle Bleue? I know you here somewhere. I know you want to talk to me."_

 _Marinette looked up at the ceiling noticing how there was no light. Patterns of soft blue light started to appear. First, a bunch of stars appeared blinking into existence one at a time, the sun appear followed by a moon. They were so beautiful and gave her a sense of peace._

 _Tearing her eyes of the lights, she saw Belle Bleue sitting on the bench, a beautiful fan rested next to her as her tail feathers rose and displayed different colors. "I've always found that the lights of the sky can be an inspiration, but they can also be a signs of evil. One thing and two beliefs, such a contradiction isn't?"_

 _Marinette sat down and looked at this version of her wearing the very pin she had been looking for. If this person was her in a way maybe she could tell her where Duusu was._

" _I can't give you the answer to where Duusu is Marinette. While I'm you a third of the time, the circumstance surrounding how I got her Miraculous could be different with you. Another contradiction, most peacocks have to deal with that. Duusu is a peahen yet she has the coloring of a peacock. Most symbolism for peafowl are all about the male, yet they apply to females as well."_

" _How are Peacocks contradiction? Does it have to do with your powers?"_

" _In a way I suppose. Peacocks have been seen as creatures of the gods and a symbol of royalty for centuries. Yet, we are also cursed with pride and in Europe are tail feathers are considered bad luck because we attract the evil eye. In Asia, to own a peacock feather is lucky because you hold a star in your hand._

 _Some cultures believe that are tail fans promote the masculine sun, but it's a feminine sign because ladies used their hand fans to protect themselves. I guess that's why Peacocks have premonitions sometimes," Belle Bleue admitted to herself._

 _Marinette gasped, "You can see the future?!"_

" _Sometimes or I get glimpses of the past. It's just something that comes with being a Peacock. Ladybugs get good luck while Black Cats attract bad. Foxes can't help pulling pranks any more than a Bee can resist having honey on them. Butterflies develop empathy and Turtles garner spiritual wisdom."_

" _So if it's not your power, then what do you revolve around and do?"_

 _Belle Bleue looked past her to the paintings on the ceiling. Her eyes latched onto Master Fu frowning. As she stared at the past Peacock, it gave her strength to speak._

" _Peacocks are creatures, who because of their contradicting nature, have a usual pairing. Because we eat snakes people saw this as immunity, yet they feared a dead bird believing that our flesh is poisonous and it could spread. So of course we had to revolve around Healing._

 _The other thing we revolve around has to do with contradiction nature. We are creatures of glory and integrity, but also we are seen as symbols awakening and refinement. Which means I revolve around Vision as well, the ability to have a clear path in a person's mind of how to move forward when there are too many choices._

 _Marinette looked impressed by her other self. It took a strong person with intense focus to handle being a Peacock. She imagined Belle Bleue special power was something of a contradiction too._

" _I pulled you here because there is something that you must know. Wayzz has been holding something back from you. His heart is in the right place, yet Duusu and I agree, it is time you learned the truth of Master Fu's past. How it connects with_ _ **him**_ _and what it has to do with your situation now. No matter what it takes, you need to get him to speak. Your future and everyone you love, will depend on it."_

 _After giving Marinette her warning Belle Bleue covered herself with her tail feathers before dissolving into the ground and back into her stain glass window. Which left Marinette wondering what Wayzz was hiding from her._


	6. Luck now Wisdom

**I have received permission to use some of the names for Adrien's Miraculous forms from imthepunchlord.**

* * *

Marinette woke up to her alarm going off. She looked down at her bracelet and then over to Wayzz who was still asleep in his terrarium. Could he really be holding something back from her? The dreams she had been having indicate that her other selves had been trying to help her, even preparing her, for something important and dangerous.

If what Belle Bleue had told her was true, then she needed to confront him about hiding secrets from her. Maybe then she would tell him about the dreams. Glancing behind her, she saw the disguised chest. "Pollen, Trixx, give me the strength to do this."

Wayzz woke up a bit later and stretched. He took a sip of fresh water and floated over to his food bowl. When he saw nothing there he phased through the glass looking for Marinette to feed him. She wasn't in the room. Pulling down the schedule he was looking over the days, trying to determine how much time Marinette could spare now that she was Adrien's girlfriend.

"I wonder if Plagg was behind his wielder actions last night. No, he's too lazy to have interfered like that. Whatever the reason, this complicates things even more."

Before Wayzz could make any changes on the calendar he was plucked out of the air. Startled he tried make himself smaller, though with his head shape that wasn't easy. Then he saw who had plucked him. "Marinette! Please don't give me such a fright. You know how scary that can be."

"I'm sorry Wayzz. I shouldn't be giving you a fright any more than you should be keeping secrets from me. Important secrets that I need to know."

Wayzz felt like he had been punched in the stomach. Did Plagg or Tikki tell her he was holding something back? "I'm not sure what you mean Marinette. There are lots of things I haven't told you yet. When I think you're ready I'll…."

"No, no more secrets! Ever since we've bonded, you have been holding something back. The other Kwamiis' reactions when they met me, you started to say something about Master Fu's past then stopped. They comforted you so that means you were thinking about something. Someone warned me in my sleep last night about the danger I am, for not knowing something important."

Wayzz face turned into an expression of shock. Had Master Fu visited her in her dreams to force his flippers? "Who told you I was holding something back? Did whoever warn you speak to you in a dream?"

"I'll tell you the truth after you tell me. What is going on Wayzz?" she demanded.

"Something from the past, a dark and terrible event, that I hoped I never have to face again. I promise to tell you everything tomorrow." He raised a flipper to stop her from interrupting him. "I'm not telling you today because you need to perform a purification ritual and we must go to Master Fu's bedroom if you are to understand everything. Tomorrow we'll be combining all your lessons and see how you handle the truth."

* * *

The next day right before the sun rose, Wayzz nudged Marinette awake. "Get up, we must begin the purification ritual," he told his sleepy chosen. She whined that the sun wasn't up yet. She pulled her head under a pillow. The little kwami wasn't giving up today. "Yes, I know, but to start this ritual you must be up before dawn. Follow me to the balcony."

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, Marinette climbed out of bed and went up to her balcony. Dawn was fast approaching. "What do I need to do first?" she asked. She yawned a bit and looked at the still sleeping city, wondering if anyone else was awake.

"Sit in your meditation pose and start your breathing exercises. As the sun rises over you, imagine you are drinking its light, you'll know to do next." Wayzz instructed her as he too sat down in his mediation pose.

Marinette sat down on her meditation mat. She closed her eyes and started taking deep breaths. She imagined the air coming into her body and going all the way to her toes before exhaling, letting it pass through her body and out again. In and out, in and out.

The sunlight tickled her skin as her body was gently bathed in the early morning light. She held out her cupped hands imaging the light was pooling in her hands. When they felt full she tipped her hands back and drank the light. Her body started to feel really energized as is if she really was drinking sunlight. She drank more sunlight feeling energized.

Marinette stood up slowly before her stretching her arm wide did a circular motion. She slid her right foot forward and her left behind her holding her arms above her head. She started performing dance moves, emulating the sun rising traveling across the sky. One dance move even had her performing a motion of her protecting her face from its glorious light before ending the dance with the setting of the sun.

"Open your eyes Marinette and take a look at your body," Wayzz voice told her. Her blue eyes opened and she looked at her arms. They had swirls of golden light traveling across them. She looked down at her legs which had turned a rich yellow. Tugging a single strand of hair in front of her, it had changed to a glorious blond.

"I hope this isn't permanent," she whispered in awe of the changes.

"The sun's blessing will fade soon, but congratulations. The sun has purified your body, its endless light will keep you safe today. We have completed the first part of the ritual, now we must begin the second part, fortifying your mind from evil influences. I hope you've been practicing your tea making."

Marinette tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen. She could hear her papa already in the bakery working hard. She started boiling the water for the tea as she prepared the ingredients for the special blend she needed to drink.

"Alright, first step take, three pieces of sage and add it to the mixture. Then I need one pinch of ginger followed by a dash of thyme. A teaspoon of cinnamon. A squirt of lemon juice and a petal of a rose. Mix them together and wait until it's brewed to perfection. Did I get it right?"

"You remembered the mind strengthening recipe perfectly. Remember, you have to drink it three times if it is to take effect. Don't forget to clean up afterwards."

Marinette nodded already doing that. Finally the tea was ready. She slowly poured the tea into three different cups. The scent of the tea was a mix of sweet with just a hint of sour. "Um; can you remind me of the words I'm supposed to say before drinking it?"

"Just ask for its help to strengthening your mind and it will work." Nodding she took the first tea cup in her hand and drained it, the brew easing her tension. Another cup and her mind started feeling clearer. Last cup and her she felt her brain build up a wall against evil. "Step two in the ritual is done. Is there another step we need to do?"

Wayzz nodded. "Just one more and then we can leave for the building. The rest of your lessons will be completed there and you will learn the secret of what I've been hiding. This last part of the ritual deals with you embracing the qualities of a different kwami. These qualities will act a shield for your heart."

"Another kwami. You've been making me into a Turtle for months now and you want me to embrace the qualities of another?" Marinette moaned. There was no way she could do that. I could embrace Ladybug, that's who I'm meant to be. "Do I have to embrace just one kwami's qualities?"

"You can embrace two, but that rarely happens. Most Great Guardians prefer using one set."

"I am brave, courage, creative, and optimistic like a Ladybug, but I also need to be strong willed and determined like a Peacock. Two sets of traits will serve me better. I can feel them inside me. Tikki and Duusu different yet the same in many ways."

Marinette watched as a peacock feather and dots from a ladybug flickered over her heart. The ladybug dots traveled around creating a heart shape over her heart as the peacock feather stood and tall. Already her heart was filled with joy. She knew her heart was safe from dangerous influences.

Wayzz nodded. "The purification ritual is complete. You have embraced your spirituality lesson, brewed the correct tea for healing, and lastly embraced the qualities of a different kwami. I'm proud you finished these three lessons. (Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday). It is time to go and learn the whole truth."

* * *

Marinette walked to the building with purpose today unrelated to her ongoing dreams for the place. Using her key, she entered the building and didn't stop in the massage/spa. She took the stairs to the second floor. Without hesitation she entered the residence once more.

The residence looked a little different than before. She had sold some of the items from the apartment and most of the furniture was covered waiting to be taken to the storage locker soon enough. "At least the utilities are still being automatically paid for," Marinette told Wayzz as she got a glass of water. "Without it this place would be cold and impossible to use."

"Master Fu knew how to plan ahead. We have a lot to do. Are you ready?" Wayzz asked as they walked down the hallway. Stopping at the door to the main bedroom, Marinette took a deep breath and opened the door.

The bedroom was dark, the shades had been drawn. Stepping inside she felt for a light switch. When the lights turned on what she saw was confusing. Like the other rooms in the apartment, this one was themed after Wayzz. She saw a few figurines of turtles on a shelf over the bed. There was a small bookcase in the corner next to the windows with Wayzz's image painted all over it. The sheets on the bed had a turtle pattern on it.

The rest of the room though, it reminded her of a family temple. On the nightstand was an ink print drawing of a small traditional Chinese family. Walking towards nightstand, Marinette accidentally bumped her hip quite hard on a dresser. Her body stung as she looked at it.

The dresser had many drawers on it with many different sizes. A huge mirror was attached to it. On the top of the dresser were two small decorative rocks with Chinese lettering on them. She wished she could read them, judging by the characters and the fact these were next to an incense burner, meant that these were personal reminders of someone who had passed away.

In the opposite corner from the book case was a small alter. On the wall above was beautiful painting of a village in rural China. Next to it was a smaller painting that showed _Diyu_ the Chinese mythological ten courts of hell. It seemed strange to have a painting of life next to one of the dead.

Marinette sat on the bed and picked up the ink print. In the picture, she saw an elderly couple with two young adult sons. Next to them was their wives and at their feet, she spied three children. The two boys who looked to be about twelve and ten seemed to belong to the taller and most likely older brother, while the girl, who shared a few features with Marinette, looked about six or seven.

Tracing her finger over the print, her eyes bugged out as she recognized the younger son. It was Mr. Fu! This must have been his family. Looking closer, she saw the Turtle Miraculous on his wrist, but Wayzz had never spoken about Fu having a wife and child. "Wayzz, who are these people?"

"I'll tell you in a minute. First, do you remember your history lessons about events that happened because of Miraculous users?" The bluenette nodded and placed the print back on the nightstand. "Can you name one person for each Miraculous?"

"Let's see, Joan of Arc was a Ladybug. The American comic company Marvel based its character Black Panther on a legend of famous African warrior who inspired many of the continent's greatest leaders. The famous illusionist Harry Houdini was a Fox," Marinette said as she counted on her fingers.

Scrunching her eyes together, she recalled a few more names. "Gandhi was a famous Bee and Florence Nightingale served as Peacock for a long time. There was a Renaissance painter by the name of Sandro Botticelli who had the Butterfly Miraculous for a while. Oh, and you said Confucius himself was a Turtle."

Wayzz clapped his flippers impressed by her memory. "Very good Marinette. You remembered a lot of names. Those famous people did amazing work as Miraculous wielders. The Miraculous can bring great joy and accomplishment to its wielder. Still, even Miraculous have a bad side and not all wielders have a happy ending."

Wayzz flew back to the dresser set and phased into the drawers opening them from the inside. One by one, from the smaller drawers he brought over well-worn leather bound journals. In scrawling gold calligraphy each journal had a Kwamiis name over it.

Gently, she picked up the one with Plagg's name on it. Tenderly she opened the journal to a random page. She could smell the scent of the crinkled paper and felt the stiffness to the pages. These journals were very old and fragile.

There was an illustration of a young man, in his mid-twenties. His hair was jet black and his eyes a brilliant brown. His costume resembled a something you might see at a masquerade ball. "Henry Simmons/Masked Feline. Active from 1456-1470 in Venice Italy. Major achievements include protecting the city of Venice from invaders, stopping thieves at masquerade balls, and rescuing patrons from kidnappers. Fate: Committed suicide when his lover ruined his reputation when she caught him defending his home from a bunch of stray cats by hissing and clawing at them."

She dropped the journal on the bed shocked. A Miraculous user committing suicide because of a few animal traits? She couldn't believe that. She picked up the others journals finding entries about others past wielders that went mad, hurt themselves or abandoned their Miraculouses. "I feel like I'm going to be sick. Wayzz does this happen to all Miraculous users? Do all their fates end unkindly?" Her voice tight from anxity.

"No, many Miraculous users have long and wonderful lives, even after their Miraculouses were returned. These journals have been kept by past Great Guardians as a record of both the accomplishments and dangers of being in tune with a particular Miraculous. Not all wielders have the strength to handle the pressures of being a Miraculous wielder. Some of them hate their responsibility so much they run away from it causing harm to others. Others inherit too many traits from their Kwamiis driving them insane. Others can't live without their Kwamiis once they are no longer needed and the Miraculous is recovered."

* * *

Wayzz paused a moment before he asked Marinette a question. "Did you ever think what you would do when Hawkmoth is defeated?"

Marinette looked at her kwami confused. "I thought that Ladybeetle and Chat Noir would stop him and return the Miraculous to me. What else is there?"

"A lot more and it has to do with the oath you took. I told you that the First Guardian chose Turtles to carry the burdens of protecting the Miraculouses remember? Not all those burdens are easy." Wayzz phased into a larger drawer and came back with a plaque, a book, and something she couldn't identify.

Picking up the plaque, a simple piece of wood with an embellished plate, she saw words in another language on it. The piece of wood heated up in her hands and suddenly the words changed and it was clearly written out in French. "The Great Guardian's Oath. This is the translated version of what I said isn't it?" The kwami nodded and told her to recite the oath out loud to him, carefully and slowly.

"I take this sacred oath today, witnessed by the forces of Nature and the sacred kwami god Wayzz, to become the Great Guardian of the Miraculouses to carry out all the burdens and duties of my position.

I give my word to protect the Kwamiis from harm, to find wielders who will use the Miraculouses wisely, and offer aid and mentoring when it is needed. I will commit my life to facing the evils that plague the world and uphold the goodness of human nature to preserve the world.

I shall protect the innocent from harm and help those who are helpless. I shall be unbiased and never seek revenge from those who have harmed me, my friends, or the ones I love. I will be honorable, respectful, and compassionate to all people not matter what the differences between us are.

I shall punish those who misuse and abuse the Miraculouses and Kwamiis powers. I shall do whatever it takes, even embracing the dark parts of humanity, in order to bring justice for those hurt by the abusers ambitions. If a Miraculous is lost or kept beyond its time, I agree to do whatever it takes to reclaim the Miraculouses. I shall strip the user of everything and either offer mercy or death by my own judgment

I shall atone for any deeds where I am forced to use dark methods to achieve my goals. I shall keep track of my mistakes to learn from them and fix them no matter how long it takes. I will not abandon my duties even if I have to trade my life to carry them out. I shall train another to carry out this burden before I breathe my last.

I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, swear to uphold my oath for the greater good, as long as I live."

Marinette put the plaque down, her body shivering. Now knowing fully what she had promised, she understood why Pollen had been so angry. What right did a fifteen year old have to pass judgment on anyone? Evils of humanity, oh she had a pretty good idea of what that meant.

"I have to hurt, steal, or even kill someone?" she whispered to Wayzz. The turtle looked away before nodding. "I can't, I won't, there's got to be another way."

Wayzz flipped open the book and it turned out to be a ledger. It had names, dates, what crime they committed, their punishments, and what each Great Guardian had done as atonement. The ledger appeared to be much shorter than the journals. There weren't as many entries.

Through the bond Wayzz knew what she was wanted to know and that she couldn't find the courage to ask. "These ugly duties don't happen for every Great Guardian. We've existed for over five thousand years and have had hundreds, maybe a thousand of wielders and only a handful have been evil."

Putting down the ledger her hand touched the mysterious object. It was pendulum made with an orange crystal encased in a protective silver lattice with a chain attached to it. Something about the pendulum made her very nervous. "Does this pendulum have anything to do with the ledger and the atonement?"

"Yes, the stone is called a sorrow breaker, a magical stone that use to exist in magical places. Over time those sacred places were destroyed. This might be the last one in existence."

Picking up the pendulum, Marinette could guess why it was called a sorrow breaker. If I swing this back and forth its power would build up and single touch would break the bond between kwami and wielder, making it possible to take the abused Miraculous back, but leave a gaping hole of sorrow inside the person. She placed it back down on the bed quietly. "This is what I have to use to free Duusu and Nooroo from their wielders?"

Wayzz nodded as he picked the pendulum up and placed it inside a box before locking it back up. "Every kwami has been misused a handful of times. I believe Plagg and Trixx are tied at eight, Pollen seven and Duusu five. This is Nooroo's fourth time of being abused and Tikki has been misused three times."

"But never you of course. After all you're the kwami of the Great Guardian. No one would misuse the powers of the Great Guardian after taking that oath."

Wayzz crawled up into her lap and curled up. He was shivering, but not from a lack of heat, in fear. Marinette stroked him trying to comfort him. Wayzz whispered something faintly, but she caught. " _Once_. You've been misused once? When, how, what happened?"

"It is a long story and it part of the truth that has been hidden from you. It has to do with Master Fu, the events that led him to become the Great Guardian, and why he had no family with him when he died. It also connects with your future."

With a heavy heart Wayzz jumped onto the night stand and went to the back of the print. Hidden in the back was a key to the nightstand drawer. He fitted it into the lock and it opened. He pushed aside some photos and tapped the bottom of the drawer five times. A section pulled away revealing a false bottom. He pulled out small tray with several rocks glued to it.

Marinette, who had put away the other stuff, looked at Wayzz as he lay the piece of art on top of the dresser. The rocks were different colors and formed a zigzag pattern. Just being near this piece of art, she could feel the magic coming from it. The spiritual energies were very high and they tugged at her. "What is this and what lesson do I have to use with this?"

She had already had a history lesson, learned more about the oath she had taken, and learned what she have to do when she found Duusu and confronted Hawkmoth. The only lesson they hadn't covered was her transforming.

"These are memory stones. If you follow the pattern you'll learn about events in the past and how they affect the future. Sometimes there are events that occurred are too painful to keep inside, so Great Guardians sometimes make these memory paths to hold them until they can handle them."

To understand the truth about what I've been hiding you must live it. Transform and touch the first stone. You'll be pulled in. Since we are going to be walking in a memory, you'll be able to hear me in your head. But please be careful, the memories can be very strong and you might get stuck inside or badly hurt."

So that's what the ritual of purification was for. To prepare me to enter these memories and be strong enough to get out without harm. "Wayzz, Shell Closed!" The kwami was sucked into body as the transformation took place. A minute later Peridot Turtle stood alone in the bedroom. "Here goes everything." She touched the first stone in the pattern. Her whole body jerked as she was yanked inside Fu's memories.

* * *

She went through a spiral of colors and popped out, rolling around in a garden. She pushed herself up and blinked her eyes. Looking around at the architecture and surveying the plant life, she knew she wasn't in Paris anymore. If she had to guess she was somewhere in China.

She was in small farming village that had seen better days. The houses were in need of repair and the clothes people wore had several holes in them. She could see boys and men mingling or going about their day. Knowing that girls and woman never left their households, she jumped up onto a roof of an estate. Looking around she saw the fields just outside the village walls. Peering closer there were some woman and young girls, working the fields.

" _Wayzz, are you there?"_

" _Yes, I can hear your thoughts. We're in the small village of Baishuitai. The year is 1846. China is in upheaval since the Quing dynasty lost the First Opium War and ceded Hong Kong to the British. In the last few years the Quing dynasty has signed the Treaty of Nanjing, the Treaty of Wanghi with the United States, and the Treaty of Whampoa with France._

 _Trade agreements, the amount of foreigners entering the country, and xenophobic nature of the Middle Kingdom is causing uprisings and civil unrest everywhere. Famines are starting to pop across the country. In other words, this is uneasy time living in China."_

Getting down from the roof, Peridot Turtle started walking around the village ducking everyone once in while into an alleyway until she remembered this was a memory and no one could see her. She started looking for Master Fu, but didn't see him.

Then her Miraculous started to glow. She took a few steps and it stopped. Moving backwards the Miraculous started to glow again. Moving her wrist around, she watched as it glowed brighter. She started running in the direction it indicated. As she ran she practiced jumping over things and dodging incoming objects.

Her speed had improved and she was a lot more flexible. Wayzz had told her the key to a Turtle's fighting style was not only about standing your ground, but being able to be agile enough to avoid taking hits in the first place. At last she came to the edge of the town.

On a little hill was a medium sized building with walled in courtyard. It looked like a home, but at the same time, it reminded her of the old fashion hospital styles she had seen in pictures her Mama had taken when she had visited China the year before Marinette had been born.

"Even though this is a memory, I can feel the strong natural energy surrounding this place. It feels so peaceful and wonderful," Peridot Turtle murmured to herself.

Entering the courtyard, she saw a small garden had been planted with different flowers and herbs. There was another garden, this time a sand one under the shade of some trees. Wind chimes hung from rooftops creating a pretty melody. Her bracelet was glowing even more now highlighting a door. She went up to it and put her hand on it, and let out a little scream. Her fingers had passed through the door!

" _You're in a memory remember. Go inside and take a right, then a left before entering the room at the end of the hallway. The memories will start flowing easier when you get there."_

Following his instructions, she walked into the home and made the correct turns until she entered a room that was very similar to the massage/spa setting. The major difference was that this room was bigger and there was slightly raised section in the back where a desk had been set up.

Sitting behind the desk was an elderly gentleman. His hair was salt and pepper and long hanging down his back. He wore a blue robe with a motif based on the four Directional Animals in Chinese mythology. His face was very kind and welcoming. He was writing something on a paper in calligraphy. On his wrist was the Turtle Miraculous.

" _Master Zhu, the Great Guardian before Master Fu. He was a well-respected healer, poet, and philosopher. Whenever there was trouble in the providence, people would come to see him and ask for help."_

" _Did they know he was the Great Guardian?"_

" _No, but they knew he had a connection to the Great Turtle, a local legend about a hero who protected the providence for many decades. They believed that Master Zhu would send word through a poem to the hero and he would come to save them. No one guessed he was the Great Turtle."_

Peridot studied the man. His robes hid a very muscular and strong form. Even though he was old, she could still see the power in hands as he swiftly wrote something. His senses seemed sharp as ever as he looked up from his desk. He smiled and said, "Welcome my apprentices, I was wondering when you would finish your deliveries."

Looking at the doorway she saw two young men, about seventeen or eighteen, standing in the doorway in traditional clothes, of the time period. Her eyes widened as she recognized Fu. Despite being a young handsome man with a full head of hair and the starting of a goatee, his warm eyes and kind small made him easily identifiable. He was carrying an empty basket.

Looking at the other young man, Peridot Turtle shivered. He was a head taller than Fu and had muscular frame. His clothing clung to him showing that he had powerful legs and arms as thick as branch of a tree. His hair, which was cut severely short, was so black it reminded her of an inkblot. He also had a small mustache. His eyes, which were spaced a bit too far apart, were the color of a muddy river. His nose was a bit pointy. His smile, it didn't contain any warmth.

"Apologizes for our lateness Master Zhu. It took us longer than we thought to deliver the medicine to the farmers," Fu said, as he bowed to his master.

"I collected the rare minerals you asked for Master," the other boy said. He handed Master Zhu a small container of crushed rocks.

The old man smiled. "Thank you Keung, it's been some time since I have been able to search the mountain for this. Wayzz, come on out, it's time to prepare the tea."

As the past version of Wayzz came out from under the desk, the current version was explaining what was going on to his current wielder. _"As you can see Fu was a young man when he was working as Zhu's apprentice. The other boy you see is Keung. The young man's family lost their home and prestige years ago. He traveled to find work and also is an apprentice to Master Zhu."_

" _Is it unusual to have two apprentices? Only one of them could inherit the Miraculous."_

" _True, but both of them could learn to be great healers and take over Master Zhu practice after he retired to live out the rest of his long life in peace. It was not unusual in times long ago for a Great Guardian to have more than one apprentice. Seven years is a long time to see who has the compassion and strength for the job. This was a happy time in all our lives."_

Indeed the men all looked happy. They were all enjoying their tea and telling jokes. Master Zhu was reading his latest poem to them as Wayzz munched on his carrot looking content.

The scene changed and she reappeared in the same room, but everyone was wearing different clothing and it was a bit warmer. Both boys were kneeling on the floor their heads down. Master Zhu was looking at each of them. On his shoulder past Wayzz was smiling, but his eyes looked sad.

" _This is a few months later. The boys completed their apprenticeships only a few days ago. With all the changes and unrest going on in the country, Master Zhu thought it would be best if a younger man took on the role of Great Guardian. He had lived a long life and planned to spend the rest of it in peaceful village not too far away as a poet."_

The old master smiled. "I'm very proud of both of you. You have done well under my tutoring and I can see you'll both have long and prosperous lives. Fu, you have such a large and caring heart. I have never met another man who could see so many possibilities for the future. You will make a great husband and father in the future, as the healer of this village."

"Thank you Master. I am humbled by your opinion. I will strive to make you proud and become a great healer. Wayzz, I wish you well."

Both the Great Guardian and past Wayzz smiled. Then they turned to Keung. "Keung, you are strong will man who never gives up. You carried your duties out faithfully, and you have shown the traits of a true Turtle. Therefore, I pass the Turtle Miraculous to you and all the powers and responsibilities that come with it."

"Thank you Master Zhu, I promise as the new Great Guardian, Xuanwu, I will do great things with the Miraculous," Keung replied as he took the bracelet from Master Zhu and started reciting the oath. With each word he said the air seemed to get heavier and heavier.

"I don't understand, why did Master Zhu give you to Keung instead of Fu?"

" _Fu was about to be married to a wonderful woman named Shufen, who was as virtuous as her name. It may have been arranged, but both of them were truly in love with one another. Unlike his father and older brother, who was already married and had kids, he intended to treat his wife as a person not property. Master Zhu did what he thought was best by letting Fu marry. Keung had nobody so he was free to carry out his duties."_

The memory changed again. She was in the memory of Fu's wedding. He looked so happy as Shufen stepped off the sedan chair that was had carried her to the village. She was trying to look serious for the occasion, but nothing could hide the laughter in her face. At the wedding banquets they shared loving looks and secret jokes between the two of them.

The memory shifted again and Peridot Turtle expanded her extra fabric to cover her face, so she didn't have to witness the couple having sex. She really wished Wayzz had warned her about that one. She didn't uncover her face until she found herself floating in a pond.

"What the heck? Why am I in a pond?" she asked herself. Climbing out of the water she shook off the mud from her costume. "I hope this doesn't come back to the real world with me."

* * *

"Master Zhu what are you doing here?" Fu's voice carried. Walking towards the sound she saw Master Fu talking with a weary Master Zhu. The old Great Guardian looked as if years had passed when she suspected it had been less than that.

He was leaning on a staff for balance and he was looking past his former student. Behind Fu, sitting on a bench was a very pregnant Shufen. The old man looked at the young woman with a concerned expression. Turning back to Fu, he started to speak with a heavy heart. "Fu, I need your help. Something terrible has happened with Wayzz and I fear for his life, not to mention the other Kwamiis and their Miraculouses. I made a mistake in giving Keung the Turtle Miraculous."

" _Keung was the one who abused you?"_

" _Yes, at first everything was going fine. He was carrying out his duties and doing what he could to help people. Then his true nature started to show. He was a bitter angry man. He hated that his family had lost everything when he was a young boy. He also had resentment and jealousy issues when it came to others, seeing them thriving even during this time of struggle._

 _Having the power of the Miraculous made him feel important and better than others. He abused his power, using the Miraculous abilities to steal opium from imports and selling it at high prices. He had no qualm about using his weapon to hurt people. He did whatever he wanted with his power, including let innocents die when he could have helped them._

 _He treated me like a slave. I was kept in a cage that I couldn't phase out of and beaten daily. He would starve me and then force feed me until I was sick so I could transform him. He tried several times to take my powers from me directly so that he wouldn't need the Miraculous. The worst of it all was he talked about tracking down the other Miraculous users and killing them so he could have all seven Kwamiis to steal our powers for himself."_

Peridot Turtle almost puked upon hearing that. While Hawkmoth was abusing Nooroo and tried stealing the Miraculous, he never tried to kill Mireille or Adrien. Seeing the look on Master Zhu and young Fu's face she knew both were horrified by Keung's actions.

The scene changed again and she was now in a different memory. She was in a dark warehouse and gasped when she saw at least a dozen people lying on the ground bleeding out. Something passed through her sending shivers down her spine. It was the ball of a meteor hammer. Spinning around, she lashed out with her own aiming for the chest of her attacker. Of course it passed through the person. She took a step back in fright. The man in front of her was Keung, transformed into Xuanwu, and he looked very scary.

His suit screamed dangerous and power. He was a very dark green and his shell had spikes on it. His carapace was made of metal. His fingers had claws on them and she could see his shoes had steel tips. Patches of light green appeared on his arms and legs, she didn't know what they were for, but she sensed they had an evil purpose. The worse part about the costume was the war helmet and the large turtle beak attached to it. She had no trouble believing it could break bones.

"Foolish foreigners, they thought they could stop me? I am the most powerful Great Guardian ever! Finally, I'll be able to get out of China and find the other Miraculous wielders." He walked over to a crate and kicked it open revealing a shipment of firearms. "These will do nicely in killing those who oppose me."

"You will do no such thing Keung. Your evil comes to an end now." From out of the shadows, Master Zhu appeared dressed in armor. He was carrying his staff in his hands. "I made a mistake giving you the Miraculous. I will atone for my mistake, but first I shall rescue Wayzz."

"Don't make me laugh Zhu. You have no power, your feeble body can't keep up with mine, and you are alone. I will enjoy watching the life draining from you!" With a maniacal laugh he expertly spun his weapon aiming it for the old man's head and feet, watching with pure delight as the chain lengthened.

Zhu moved blocking the two balls with his staff. He pivoted on his foot and ducked as the balls came flying again. Using the staff like a pole he vaulted up onto the crates and knocked over two crates before jumping down and swinging his staff getting in a hit.

Xuanwu growled his beak snapping nearly getting the staff. He darted around and maneuvered behind Zhu kicking him from behind. The old man stumbled before he let out a scream. Xuanwu had gotten under him and pierced the armor with his spikes.

Injured Zhu didn't give up finding his balance. He got in close as the two of them fought in close combat. As they fought, Peridot Turtle finally saw what those patches were for. Xuanwu had used the turtle's weakness for picking up bacteria easily to form clusters of bacteria that ate through the armor exposing the flesh underneath. Even with sickness setting in the old Great Guardian managed to surprise his former apprentice with a few new moves.

The battle continued on speeding up as the teen took cover behind a support pillar. Even if it was a memory and she couldn't be hurt, the bluenette was terrified by all the fighting. She shut her eyes praying the fight would come to an end. That's when she heard the sound of something swinging around hard and cry of agony. Opening her eyes, she saw Fu standing behind Xuanwu as the man collapsed to the floor, he held the sorrow breaker pendulum in his hands.

Xuanwu let out another scream of agony as his suit burst into pieces and the Turtle Miraculous fell from his wrist. Fu snatched the Miraculous up before blowing a powder on his former friends face. At the same time Master Zhu struck lightning fast closing Keung's chi points. The man let out another scream and flopped over.

" _Master Zhu closed Keung chi points so that he was forever unbalanced and unable to ever use another Miraculous again. The powder Fu used was from a special plant that would cause unbelievable agony that would make it nearly impossible for Keung to live a normal life."_

" _Why are Zhu and Fu just standing there? Shouldn't they take Keung to jail or something?"_

" _Master Zhu used the last of the power he had to exile Keung from China, making it so if he ever tried to come back into the country in an attempt to take revenge he would find himself rapidly aging until he was near death. It was a terrible curse, but it had to be done. Master Zhu would not stoop to his former apprentice evil."_

Looking a bit uneasy she watched as Keung disappeared from sight as Zhu nearly collapsed. Past Wayzz appeared comforting the old man. She couldn't make out all the words, but somehow she knew what was going on. To atone for his mistake and using his power in such a manner, Master Zhu would also leave his beloved home, never to see China again and die alone. The old man said his goodbyes and left.

* * *

The memory changed again and once again the teen girl found herself back at Fu's family home. She was back in the garden. She heard a girl's laughter and walked back to that bench from earlier. To her surprise, she saw that little girl from the ink print _running_ around and playing with a kite. Watching her from the bench was Fu and Shufen both smiling and happy. This was _not_ the norm of the time.

" _Master Fu, while he enjoyed the traditions of China, didn't believe that a girl had less value. He in fact, wanted a daughter instead of a son. To him a daughter brought great joy to his heart and could do much more than just take care of a husband. In fact he named his daughter Xinyi which meant joy to the heart, soul, and mind."_

Peridot Turtle smiled as she looked at little girl playing. It was obvious to her that she was truly happy and loved her life. Now that she was walking through the memory she could see the resemblance's between her and the little girl was much stronger then she had initially thought. The both had the same eye shape, the nose, and smile. Her skin tone was lighter like her and her hair was almost the same shade.

She saw something following the girl and was shocked. Past Wayzz was chasing her! He was out in the open and talking with her. Looking at Xinyi's mother, Shufen didn't seem surprised to see the little kwami. Instead, she was having a discussion with her husband.

" _After he received the Miraculous Fu told his wife everything. It was there little secret. She was aware that Fu would outlive her, but she didn't mind knowing that their daughter, who Fu chose to be his apprentice, would live a long life with her father and one day make her mark on the world."_

The teen's eyes bugged out and stared at the Xinyi in astonishment. Master Fu, she thought as him now that he had the Miraculous, trained his daughter from a young age to take on his role?! Well she could understand that after witnessing the evils done by Keung.

As the little girl came to sit by her parents, she heard the couple talking about their plans to move to Europe to start a new life. Things were not going well in the year 1853 and they both thought it would be best to leave. After all, Fu's parents and brother didn't understand them and they felt the two of them were dishonoring them by being affectionate, even if it was in the privacy of their home.

" _Wayzz, this is a happy moment in Fu's life, but when I met him he didn't have anyone. What exactly happened?"_

" _Do you know the story of Gong-Gong?"_

Gong-gong, a black dragon with a great horn, was the water god in Chinese mythology. According to the story, he was ashamed that he lost the fight with Zhurong, the Chinese god of fire, to claim the throne of Heaven. In a fit of rage he smashed his head against Buzhou Mountain, a pillar holding up the sky, greatly damaging it and causing the sky to tilt towards the northwest and the earth to shift to the southeast, which caused great floods and suffering.

The goddess Nüwa cut off the legs of the giant turtle Ao and used them in place of the fallen pillar, ending the floods and suffering; she was, however, unable to fully correct the tilted sky and earth and alter their effects on the sun, moon, stars, and rivers in China.

Gong-Gong fate was disputed, some stories had him being driven from heaven and exiled, others had Zhurong hunting him down and slaying him. Either way, he lost his chance to be a powerful deity of the Heavens.

Realizing something Peridot Turtle whispered, "No, that's not possible. You said Keung couldn't ever use a Miraculous again."

 _"He couldn't, but that didn't stop him from attempting to create what he called a Disastrous. Keung found Gong-Gong, who was drastically weakened, on the fringes of Tibet, which technically at the time wasn't annexed by China._

 _Both wanted revenge and power. Together they used black magic to create the Disastrous, in the shape of a collar. They had merged together as one entity, a powerful demon, calling themselves Chaotic. As one being the curse that Master Zhu placed on Keung was broken and_ _ **he**_ _descended into China causing natural disasters and destroying anything in_ _ **his**_ _path."_

* * *

The memory changed again and this time she found herself at the base of a mountain in a huge valley. The ground beneath her shook as she fell. Rocks tumbled down towards her as she scrambled out the way. A nearby river rose out of its bed and flooded the area as she was swept away. She tried to swim against the current, but it was too strong.

She managed to grab a hold of a tree and climb out. That's when she noticed her suit was torn and saw a tiny bit of bleeding skin. "What? I thought I couldn't get hurt in a memory!"

 _"This is the strongest and darkest memory. The feeling of danger and death is so strong here, it can affect you. You have to remain strong and not let fear overwhelm you."_

Holding tightly to the tree, Peridot Turtle watched as seven figures appeared in the valley. High above her, she heard a roar and couldn't believe what she saw. A huge, at least thirty feet long, black dragon with a three foot long indigo horn, was in the sky. All around him were smaller copies each one spewing fire or water from their mouths.

The sky turned black as bolts of lightning struck the valley obliterating anything it touched. The wind was blowing so hard that the top of the mountain was being sheared off. Screams for help could barely be heard as she looked up and saw on crumbling ledge Fu's entire family being held prisoner in a cage of earth and metal.

The seven figures below, all the Miraculous users of the time, were fighting to stop the dragons as Master Fu charged forward attempting to get to his family. The Fox and Bee were working together to take down the dragons. The Peacock was moving incredibly fast as they tried to fight and heal the Butterfly at the same time. Even the Ladybug and Black Cat were struggling to get through the hoard.

It was as if the apocalypse was happening right before her eyes. Chaotic was enjoying himself as he watched Master Fu struggle to get to his family. He curled his claws together and in response the cage grew smaller. He laughed and called Master Fu's name, taunting him and speaking of revenge.

Master Fu stayed calm and continued to press on; beating his opponents right and left. As the meteor hammer flew about it ignite with green spiritual energy as he leeched life from the smaller versions, rapidly healing him and giving him a chance to use a power of some sort. Somehow the green light was restoring what had been destroyed.

 _"Wayzz, please talk to me. What is happening?"_

 _"Chaotic is happening. What you are seeing is the demonized form of what use to be Keung and Gong-Gong. This demon is drawing power directly from the cosmos and causing natural disasters all over the country and the world. In order to lure all seven Miraculous users out,_ _ **he**_ _kidnapped Master Fu's family and decimated the land._

 _The sorrow breaker crystal is useless here as both the man and god used dark magic to become one._ _ **He**_ _is so powerful only the combined strength of all seven Miraculouses could possibly stand a chance at defeating_ _ **him**_ _. This is a fight to the death with only one winner."_

Chaotic descended from the sky changing into a half human half dragon form. Around his neck was the same collar Peridot Turtle had briefly seen when Duusu had called out for her. With him moving around she couldn't get a very good look at it.

The bloodthirst in his eyes was plain to see. He called out promising Ao, (Master Fu), that he would make his death agonizing before sending his soul to hell along with his families. The two of them battle against one another in deadly combat.

The cage kept getting smaller as the family huddled together trying to stay alive. Shufen was trying to break it, doing anything she could think off to get free. Her efforts finally paid off as she widen a small gap in the cage. Without another thought she pushed Xinyi out of the cage yelling at her to run. The little girl did what her mother asked, but instead of running away, she ran towards her father.

Chaotic had trapped Ao in a cosmic energy field slowly crushing him to death. " **You made me feel agonizing pain every single moment of my life. I want you to feel that agony by tenfold! I will take all the Miraculous powers and use them destroy this world. Those who survive the destruction will be my slaves forever!"**

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I WON"T LET YOU WIN!" Ao promised as his body withered. Blood was pouring out of his mouth and his back was bending in a way it shouldn't.

"LEAVE MY FATHER ALONE!" Xinyi shouted as she tackled the demon to the ground. Caught off guard; the demon's power vanished dropping Ao on the ground. The little girl didn't hesitate as she jumped on the demon and used her sharp fingernails to scratch Chaotic's cheek.

Xinyi ignored her father's warning as she tried to grab the Disastrous and remove it from the demon's neck. Angered, Chaotic grabbed the little girl choking her. "Time to send you to hell you foolish girl!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ao screamed as he watched in horror as the demon used his other hand to stab the little girl straight through her heart killing her instantly. He dropped her body on the ground and clenched his claws. The dying screams of Fu's family could be heard as the cage squashed them to death.

Ao's face turned ashen colored. Tears formed in his eyes as he fell to his knees in shock. His family and beloved daughter were gone forever. The demon had taken the greatest treasure he had from him. As Chaotic stood over his daughter's broken body the Great Guardian lost all hope.

Chaotic roared in victory. He swiftly moved towards his arch enemy ready to kill him when he found himself surrounded by the other six Miraculous users. Each of them used the weapons to trap him in a field of energy. " **Pathetic mortals, do you really believe I can be contained like this? I am all powerful and immortal. You will all die today!"**

"No, it is you who will die today," Ao spoke in a tight voice. "Master Zhu wouldn't kill you and as you are now demon, I'm not sure I can kill you, but I will ensure you never kill again." A burst green energy came out of his Miraculous plunging into the demon's chest. At the same time the other Miraculous did the same thing. Chaotic started shouting as it looked like he was being torn apart from the inside.

 _"Wayzz, what is happening now?"_

 _"The combined power of the Miraculouses are separating_ _ **him**_ _and sealing away his body, heart, and soul, the seals are held together by the collective quintessence of the seven of them. As long as they are separated and sealed away,_ _ **he**_ _can never be a threat again. To ensure that it holds forever they are using the blood of the innocents to strengthen the seal. Blood has great power, especially when it is used in a sacrifice for love."_

Peridot Turtle watched as Chaotic's soul was sealed into the stars, the collar which represented his body vanished from sight, as his literal black heart was buried deep into the earth.

Finally it was over. The Miraculous users had stopped a great evil, but at a terrible price. Their transformations dropped as the other six did their best to comfort the Great Guardian who held his daughter's body in his arms. It was clear to her that Master Fu believed that this was his punishment for what he did all those years ago. This was something he couldn't atone for.

* * *

There was a bright light and suddenly Marinette found herself back in the bedroom, on the bed, destransformed. Instead of holding the memory stone art piece, she was cradling the ink print to her chest. Tears streamed down her face as the Miraculous turned dull again. Wayzz floated above her, his head bowed in shame.

"Now you know the whole truth. One Great Guardian gave my Miraculous to an evil individual. Another lost everything and paralyzed by the emotional pain, never was able to complete his duties. Both of them suffered because they couldn't complete the darker part of being a Great Guardian. It can't be allowed to happen again."

Marinette's mind was flooded with images and emotions she couldn't even identify. If she had known what she was saying when she uttered her oath, she knew deep in her heart she wouldn't have agreed to it. Through her bond with her kwami she knew Wayzz blamed himself for not sensing the darkness inside the man.

She looked at her Miraculous in fear. "That demon, you stopped calling him by his name, I continued in my head while I watched the scene. Why?"

"Names have great power Marinette, especially when you say a demon's name. Even though _**he's**_ been sealed away, Master Fu and the others worried that one day the seals would break, especially once they all died."

Wayzz crawled over and touched the ink print, his eyes misting over as he looked at Xinyi. He had failed the little girl, the one who trusted him to protect her father from danger. "The seals were created with the quintessence's of seven Miraculous users and both innocent and family blood, very strong materials. They shouldn't break, but when they created them, none of them were at full strength, which was the biggest factor in all this."

"Which means, that if the three parts that make up _**him**_ ever find a way to merge once more, the modern world will be in great danger of a nearly all powerful demon. One that only the Great Guardian can stop because of the role the Turtle played in this," Marinette whispered to herself.

She yanked the Miraculous off her wrist as Wayzz disappeared from sight. She dropped the Miraculous on the bed edging away from it. All she ever wanted was to be a good daughter, a fantastic designer, and find love one day. She never wanted magical powers, super villains, and demons in her life. She had tried to do the right thing and this was the result?

"I never should have accepted this responsibility. I should have kept walking out of the hospital or never have gone there in the first place. I can't do this! It's insane. Forget the consequences, I'm not putting that Miraculous back on ever!" She curled up in ball crying hysterically.

" _Please don't say that,"_ a child's voice whispered in her mind. Uncurling out of her ball, Marinette's head jerked around as she tried to find the source of the voice, but she saw no one and the memory art wasn't near her at all.

" _You were destined for this. You are strong enough to do this job. If_ _ **he**_ _returns, who is left to shelter the innocents? There is more in you than you think. You can prevent this tragedy from repeating if you believe in yourself."_

"Xinyi?" The child's voice didn't respond. A feeling of warmth and joy wrapped itself around the teen soothing her frantic emotions. Looking down at the ink print she traced Master Fu's, Shufen's, and Xinyi's faces remembering how happy they were in the garden. To their deaths, this little family carried out their duties despite the fear they felt.

Putting the picture down gently on the pillow, she reached for the Miraculous and without hesitation put it back on as Wayzz popped back into existence. "I didn't think you would put it back on."

The bluenette brushed back her hair and admitted she didn't thing she would either. Without preamble she started to tell Wayzz about her strange dreams and what had happened a minute ago. The little kwami listened to her patiently.

When she finished he placed his head on his flipper. "I'm not sure why you having these dreams or if the _**he**_ in them is the same demon, but I do know one thing. These dreams are guiding you, preparing you for something. Whatever these other versions of you want; they seem to be eager to help you with something. I think you should trust them."

She nodded, knowing in her heart that these dreams were helping her get wiser. She still had three other versions of herself to meet and hopefully, gain something from the experience. Looking out the window, she was surprised that the sun was starting to set. Checking her phone she couldn't believe most of the day had passed by. Time must flow differently when you're inside someone's memories.

"Wayzz, put the memory art away. I'll get the rest of the stuff and we can go back home. It's been a long day and we both really need some rest." Happy that Marinette was still the Great Guardian, he hugged her. Whatever happened next, he knew they could handle it together.

* * *

The nice thing about having a boyfriend? He walks you to school, even if he has his bodyguard right on his heels. After the terrible ordeal she went through yesterday, it was nice to be in the comfort of someone she loved.

"I hope this is okay with you. I mean this is what couples do right?" Adrien asked awkwardly. He heard Plagg gagging in his jacket pocket and made a show of pressing down his shirt trying to get the wrinkles out.

"Yes, a lot of couples enjoy just being with each other. I wonder how the rest of the couples in our class are doing today."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. Besides Ivan and Mylene he wasn't sure who the other couples were. "Um how many couples are there?"

"A few, well some our still in the crush stage or might prefer being friends, but a girl can sense these things. I'll show you what I mean in a minute."

They headed into the school as the bodyguard grunted and left no doubt he'd be coming back to pick Adrien up later. Marinette guided her boyfriend into a corner where they could watch the rest of their friends before class started.

"Alright, time to teach you about recognizing the signs of love," she teased Adrien. The blond laughed before forming a serious expression on his face. "You know that Ivan and Mylene are a couple, so what do you notice about them?"

Adrien eyes looked over Ivan. The gentle giant listening to some rock music with Mylene. He noticed how low the volume on the IPod was. He also noticed that Mylene had a grateful look on her face as tapped her fingers to the beat.

"Ivan's being very considerate to Mylene. He's got the volume turned down because he knows she doesn't like loud sounds. Mylene's also being considerate, by listening the music and giving it a chance."

Marinette nodded and explained to him when someone took the time to notice another person's reactions to things and be very considerate, it was often a sign of affection. She then pointed to Alya and Nino, who appeared to be having an argument. "They look like their fighting, but what do you notice about their body language?"

"Nino's relaxed and he doesn't look upset. He's actually just grinning as he listens to Alya before making a comment. Alya sounds exasperated by the fight, but the tilt of her head and the placement of her arms is more playful."

Marinette nodded saying that was another example of a girl knowing when her partner was being good-natured and humoring her by listening to what she had to say without being offensive.

Adrien took the initiative and tried to find another couple or a person crushing. Kim was helping Alix fix her blades, while challenging her to another race this time her on her roller blades while he rode a unicycle. She punched him in the shoulder as he snatched her hat. Both of them didn't stop, but there was no malice in either of their eyes.

I'm glad that they're giving each other a chance, especially how things turned out when Chloe teased Kim about his crush on Alix he thought to himself. When he told Marinette what he saw she was very pleased on how well he picked up on it.

She pointed out the rest of the class, pointing out that Nathanial was finally comfortable to approach Sabrina now that she wasn't constantly by Chloe's side. It was obvious by Sabrina's improved coloring that she was enjoying being appreciated for just being herself. The relationship was in the early stages, but could blossom. Juleka was sitting next to her best friend Rose, watching a video of a Prince Ali, with her. Every so often, her eyes would take a glance at Max and a soft smile would appear on her face.

"I didn't know that are whole class was into one another so much."

"We'll when you've been in the same class for years you start to see your friends as more than that as you get older. Come on, class is about to start."

Entering the classroom the first person they ran into was Chloe. Her eyes narrowed and she let out a hiss at seeing Adrien holding hands with Marinette. "Adrikins, why are you holding hands with that peasant?"

"Chloe, please stop calling Marinette names," he told her in a tight voice. He hated the fact that he had to talk to her again. His father had been pleased by his actions at the dinner, but he expected his son to keep making Chloe happy. I really wish he took that into consideration when he agreed to let me date Marinette he thought to himself.

"I'm not calling her names. I simply am stating her position in life." The blond was checking her perfect manicure before sizing up her prey. "After all, the rich in real life, never _love_ someone of a lower social status."

Marinette held up a hand to stop Adrien from speaking. "Chloe, while that might be true for you, it's not the case with Adrien or his father. Mr. Agreste gave his permission for Adrien to date me. I would appreciate it if you don't respect me, then a least respect Mr. Agreste's choice." Without another word, she sat down in her seat and waited for class to begin.

Chloe huffed and went back to her seat to sit alone. Ms. Bustier had assigned Sabrina a seat next to Nathanial after a request from the girl's doctor to help bring down Sabrina's stress levels. So far everything was working out just fine.

Ms. Bustier would never admit it, but she was very pleased that Sabrina was finally away from Chloe's negativity and controlling nature. Over the years she had noticed that Bourgeois girl had gone from being a brat to a full out prideful and selfish monster.

Class was going smoothly as everyone was reading the assigned literature. Everyone was happy and ready to discuss the story. They had been assigned to read, "The Invisible Man", and it was a very interesting work of early science fiction. The thought of being invisible was kind of cool, many students had a lot of creative ideas for how they would use it.

"Alright class, let's begin our discussion. Why do you think H.G. Wells, wrote this particular story in the first place?" Most of the class raised their hands eager to share their opinions on the story.

"Ivan, what is your opinion?"

"Maybe that Mr. Wells wanted to create the first super villain in history? To show that he wasn't just the average writer?"

Ms. Bustier nodded and said that was a good idea. She pointed to Max, Juleka, and Sabrina asking for their ideas.

Max was of course very scientific, mentioning that the Well's method of science fiction writing was to make everything as real as possible, then expand on an idea that is unrealistic, but still a possibility in the distant future which showed the power of science, through the work a of fantasy.

Juleka's thoughts on the story was that H.G. Wells was trying to illustrate that inside each person is an invisible yet dark nature that comes out in many ways. The main character Griffin's fall into madness was a result of the dark nature taking control.

Sabrina's answer was similar, but she said the story also talked about the value of someone's worth. By making the character Griffin as invisible, he is showing that he was not valued before his discovery thus what he did was revenge for his lack of appreciation.

"All of you have come up with good ideas and you are all alright. The tale of, "The Invisible Man", matches H.G. Wells early themes that while science can enlighten people and improve humanity, it also shows that humanity can be lost very easily if a person is not careful. This short story also shows that while we may not understand everything going on, people will do desperate things in the pursuit of recognition."

Ms. Bustier continued to ask questions about parts in the book or different characters. She was teaching her students to look beyond what was written and understand the human nature that H.G. Wells saw fit to use in his short story. When it came to the ending she asked her students why H.G. Wells made Griffin body visible again upon death.

Adrien raised his hand. "I think he wanted to show that nothing is hidden forever, not even if someone's invisible. By slowly having Griffin's body reappear he is telling us that he was a dangerous man, but in the end it didn't keep from dying like any human."

Marinette nodded and then gave her own thoughts. "It is a reminder of the truth. Griffin was a terrible person who abused his power thinking of only himself and his power. In the end the truth is exposed because he has no real power and was defeated because of his overconfidence."

Chloe raised her hand surprising everyone including Ms. Bustier. "Do you have something you wish to add Chloe?"

"Yes, I think H.G. Wells made a mistake ending the story with Griffin dying at the hands of a mob. I believe that Griffin should have killed Dr. Kemp when he had a chance and the police left confused. Griffin had proved he was better than the common man and if he managed to escape so many times before, then it was impossible for a mob of simpletons to catch and beat him to death."

Ms. Bustier frowned a bit at that answer. While it was a solid opinion based on a different literature techniques, something about the way Chloe had presented it was not right. "You're opinion of the story's ending is interesting and no doubt others have thought of an alternate ending same as yours. The ending of a story can become very personal to the reader, which is why H.G. Wells though hard before publishing anything."

The rest of the class period went smoothly, the class was assigned to read another story by an early science fiction writer, Jules Vern's, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." "I would like you to answer the questions on the worksheets I'm providing. We'll be discussing the entirety of the book later this week, but please read tonight up to the chapter ten. Thank you."

* * *

Later at lunch Marinette and Adrien were enjoying a nice lunch with Alya and Nino. Both had congratulated the couple on becoming official. "You should have told me sooner Marinette about this! We wasted an entire weekend girl's day."

"You really didn't miss much. Adrien was the perfect gentlemen and he impressed my parents with his manners," Marinette remarked as she batted her eyelashes at him.

Adrien rubbed the back of his head and let out an uneasy sigh. "Honestly speaking? I halfway expected my father to pull me out of school and keep me locked up forever just for mentioning the idea of dating."

"Well then maybe the family dinner was a good thing then? At least your dad is opening up to the idea of me coming over to visit you now?"

"One thing at a time Nino," Adrien told his friend. He got a sly look on his face. "Speaking about dating, shouldn't you be collecting cat treats and fresh meat? After all Alya's mom can serve you up on a plate for Alya's dad to feed that new panther."

Nino lost all coloring as he thought of something like that possibly happening if Alya's parents got akumatized for him asking her out on a date. "Not funny at all dude."

"Please don't listen to him Nino, all my parents would care about is if you had enough energy to help me keep up with my sisters while babysitting them," the auburn haired girl assured him. Turning her attention back to her best friend she wiggled her eyebrows. "So, when are you going on your first date?"

"You are not going to film my first date Alya and that's finale!"

"Besides with our schedules, it make take a few weeks to find a day we have off. I'm going to plan the perfect date and sweep Marinette off her feet. Feeling her cozy up to him, he already knew had.

It turned out that his Chinese tutor was stuck at home with a bad cough. Marinette had been given the afternoon off to spend time with Adrien and they had both helped each other finish a lot of their homework during study hall. Since they were going to be reading a book about an underwater adventure Adrien decided they should go visit the Aquarium Tropical de la Porte Doree to help them get a real feeling for being underwater.

As soon as they reached the building, the got into the line heading to the cellar where the aquarium was housed. The building had a large exhibition halls where rotating collections would be up for viewing. On the same floor was the Cité nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration Museum.

Entering the aquarium was as if you dived into a whole other world. There were both fresh and saltwater tanks. Pressing buttons on a pad you could get information on the different species in the tank along with helpful pictures to identify the fish. A small TV crew was filming at one of the deep sea exhibits.

"Isn't that Mireille over there with Mrs. Chamack?" Marinette whispered to Adrien. He nodded and asked if she knew what they were filming here with the Junior Weather Girl. "I'm not sure, but I think maybe their trying to do a special weather report and how it will affect the real homes of these animals?"

Adrien accepted that and told her they should check out the freshwater reptiles before checking out the tropical fish. Marinette started talking about how she couldn't wait to see the famous albino alligator twins. She didn't even noticed when Plagg phased into her purse to talk with Wayzz.

"You enjoying yourself Wayzz? Maybe well come across some of your great- great- great grandparents," Plagg laughed in a snarky tone.

"Go jump in a tank and see how much you like it when you're the fish's dinner."

No fish would ever eat the little kwami, but Plagg actually started gagging at the thought of him eating fish. He hated fish! "Please I have much more refined tastes then eating some parasitic covered stinky fish. I deal with enough stink from my kitten's socks on a daily basis."

The purse was jerked a bit then hit the ground before being picked up again. The tossed Kwamiis, didn't enjoy having Marinette's wallet smashing them. "This ride is not smooth at all."

Wayzz shrugged his shoulders before asking Plagg how his kitten was holding up with everything going on. Plagg's ears perked up and he let out a very pleased purr as his tail wrapped around him. Plagg talked about how Adrien was dealing with the pressures of his life much easier now that he let his inner cat out every once and awhile. He had good control over the traits he inherited so far.

"He even takes the time to shine my Miraculous and feeds me the good stuff. I was getting worried about how much longer he could handle being love sick without his soulmate to balance him." He actually gave the turtle kwami a pat on the pack for finally telling the girl the truth.

Wayzz's shoulders slumped and he started playing with his flippers. "Wayzz, what's the matter? I thought you told her the truth!"

"I did, I told her what happened all those years ago. That she might have to face a demon in her lifetime."

"What about her soulmate? You didn't mention him?! By cheese Wayzz, you know rare it is to find soulmate who live so close to each other. Not to mention that she doesn't have to do this all on her own."

"The Turtle must shoulder the burden on their own. It's always that way for a reason. Guardian must not be distracted from their duties. They don't let love cloud their judgment." Wayzz looked like he wanted to cry so Plagg shoved a piece of Kleenex close to him.

"I'm not the romantic in our group of seven. I leave match making to the girls. I'm not going to tell you what your doing is wrong, but just think about what Marinette wants. She may be the one with the most responsibility, that doesn't mean she can't ask for help when she needs it."

Suddenly both Kwamiis tensed. A wave of darkness was surrounding them and they could sense Tikki readying herself for a fight. Plagg dove out of the purse and back into his boy's bag, just as the screaming started.

"An Akuma, here and now?! We need to get out of here," Adrien urged as water started filling the halls. The acrylic panels started to show cracks forming as the animals eyes changed, now they looked like cartoon eyes and were all eying the humans for their next meal.

The two teenagers ran to the exit only to see the exits snap close and the elevators locked up. Everyone was trapped inside. Adrien really wasn't sure what to do. He didn't want to leave Marinette, but he had to go find the Akuma somewhere in this place.

"Adrien, go see if you get more people out of danger. I'll go help with trying to get the emergency exits to open. I'll be safe, I promise." As soon as he was gone, Marinette slipped into a janitor's closet and opened her purse. "We have to help this time Wayzz. The water is our playing field and there are too many lives at risk to be sitting on the sidelines watching."

"Agreed, its time Ladybeetle and Chat Noir met Peridot Turtle."

* * *

Chat Noir was running down the corridors, his feet sloshing in the rising water. He kept one eye on the tanks, praying that the ones containing the venomous specimens wouldn't break. Something jumped out of the water aiming for his head. He used his claws to deflect a blue ringed octopus from giving him a toxic bite.

More cracks were forming on the smaller exhibits, releasing seahorses and shrimp throughout the water. These tiny delicate animals started to poke and prod the young hero as he tried to swat them away. The sound of another tank bursting and increase in water caused him to fall flat on his back.

As he clawed for the surface he didn't notice two white reptiles from before swimming after him. They opened their jaws ready to take a bite out of Chat Noir when a yo-yo bonked them on the head. They rose to the surface, which was the halfway filled with water and spotted Ladybeetle standing on a cracked exhibit.

"I know you're not hungry gator boys, considering you were just fed a huge meal last week! Go back to your home!" the spotted heroine ordered the beasts. Biting down in the water, the albino twins headed in the opposite direction. "You okay partner?"

"Yeah thanks for your help. I didn't want to be a catfish meal for them to eat." He shook himself dry and asked if she knew where the Akuma was. "I'm not sure. I figured we follow the current backwards. We've got to find it fast before everyone drowns."

The two heroes nodded as Chat Noir held tightly to his partner as she swung above the rising water. More tanks were starting to burst sending a lot of tropical fish of variety of sizes, colors, and danger level towards the frightened visitors. One final turn and they saw the akuma!

The Akuma was half human, half shark. The human half's skin was light blue, with floating orchid colored hair, and had cold eyes. She wore a battle armored black shirt held up by side straps. She also wore a belt the same color as her hair, around her waist and a lanyard around her neck with a seashell attached to it.

Her tail was the back half of shark, dark midnight black with navy blue tips on the fin. Circling around her were black tips, lemon, and a few rays, there dangerous tails slicing through the water. "I am Keto, the mother of sea monsters! I shall free all the animals trapped here for the cruelty of human entertainment!" In her hands sped up coral grew before she tossed them at the two of them dived into the water that had now risen up halfway up their bodies.

A floating tree from a destroyed exhibit became dry land for the two heroes. "Okay, you do realize that we're a few hundred miles from the tropics and not all of your fishy friends can handle fresh/salt/brackish water at the same time right?" Chat Noir inquired.

"Stupid Chat, I will do anything I please! I'm setting my babies free so they can live in the wild ocean. Attack my minions!"

"Watch out!" Ladybeetle shouted as she flung her yo-yo around the incoming rays' tails. With a flick of the wrist and a whirling motion she managed to get the rays tails stuck into a wall.

The black tips, one of the few natural man eaters, circled the log before jumping from all sides. The heroes fell flat on the log as the sharks missed them by inches. The heroes started dancing in place as more corals came at them.

What we need is higher ground to attack from Ladybeetle thought. The water was nearly at her shoulders by now. She feared everyone trapped at the exits were already drowning.

"Ladybeetle we need a new piece of land now! Those lemon sharks are starting seem to think you're a boiled crab!" Indeed the lemon sharks were grouping towards Chat Noir's partner.

"You'll never survive. My friends will hunt you down and devour you only leaving your Miraculous floating in the water. Hawkmoth will be so pleased! Keto dived into the water building up speed and rammed the log breaking it into half sending both heroes into the drink. By now the water had reached their necks.

Ladybeetle thrashed in the water, struggling to get to surface before her air rain out. That's when the sharks started bumping in the water getting her all messed up. One of the black tips moved in for the kill, only to be blocked by the thick shell of a loggerhead sea turtle.

The same thing was happening with Chat as Keto was attacking. She was about to rip him apart with her tail when a ball of a meteor hammer wrapped around her fin. She was pulled back by a whipping motion before being jerked up and slammed on the bottom. At the same time the other ball made a wide swing in the back discouraging the lemon sharks.

The girl from before swam to him and pulled him up to the surface. The sea turtles followed her as the formed a guard around him as his head burst through the surface. Thankfully the water had stopped rising. A second later Ladybeetle popped up on the back of the loggerhead. The new Miraculous user was treading comfortably in the water.

"Thanks for the rescue. Are you controlling them?"

"No, they simply see me as the biggest turtle in the area that can protect them from the sharks. I got here as quickly as I could, but making dams to hold the water back took time."

"The visitors are okay? No one's drowned yet?" Ladybeetle asked anxiously.

"Not that I know of, but that could change if we don't stop this Akuma now."

"We could really use your help…?"

"Peridot Turtle, we'll do a proper meet and greet later." The turtle heroine as she pulled tightly on her meteor hammer. Keto was getting loose. "Either of you know what her possessed item is?"

"It has to be that lanyard with the sea shell. It's the only thing that stands out," Chat Noir mentioned.

"Okay, so Chat Noir can destroy it using Cataclysm, what about you Peridot Turtle? What was that power you used to keep us from being crushed?"

"Shell Guard lets me form a protective force field around people. For how long depends on my strength. I can hold one for about eight minutes right now."

Ladybeetle nodded and called out for her Lucky Charm. This time it was a tube of spotted toothpaste. "I actually know what to do with this. Chat stay near the top and draw her out. Peridot, take me with you and form the shield when I tell you to."

The two girl's dove into the water again searching for Keto. They didn't have to wait long seeing as Keto was whipping up a vortex with her tail to suck Chat down. She tossed coral into as they whirled around before becoming dangerous projectiles. Luckily, Peridot Turtle's shell and carapace protected them.

Peridot Turtle's underwater features kept the girls right on track. Even with the water visibility fading she could see the vortex. Ladybeetle tapped her on the shoulder. "Shell Guard!" Instantly the green shell like force field formed around them.

As they were being sucked to the bottom, Ladybeetle messed around with the tube of toothpaste. Shaking it violently she started to crush it up and got ready to open it.

"What a nice treat! Hawkmoth will reward me for bringing him _three_ Miraculouses!" Keto screamed in delight. She swam closer ready to take the Miraculouses.

Peridot Turtle dropped the shield partially as Ladybeetle opened the tube. The pressure, combined with the violence to the tube shot all the paste into Keto face. The screamed as the stuff started to eat away at her eyes or get into her mouth.

The vortex started to dissolve. With a flick of the girls' wrists, they used their weapons pulling Keto to the surface as the rode the last bit of vortex up to the surface. As soon as they burst to the top Chat used his Cataclysm to destroy the lanyard. The black butterfly started flying away.

Peridot Turtle dove under water so Ladybeetle could stand on her shell to catch the Akuma. Once it was purified she quickly released her magical cleanse. Within seconds everything was back to normal and everyone was dry.

"I can't believe we did it! Without your help Peridot Turtle we couldn't have accomplished our mission," Ladybeetle told her with happiness.

"Yeah, we're going to make a real great team," Chat Noir.

"About that, we have a lot to discuss, about what my role in this is and about the saving Nooroo and the Butterfly Miraculous. How about we meet at the Eiffel Tower tonight around eleven thirty?" The duo nodded as the three of them disappeared before their transformations dropped.

After making sure Marinette was safe, Adrien took her home and apologized for the date getting interrupted. She told him it was okay and that she was happy that he was safe and sound. So they parted on good terms.

* * *

Adrien was nervous about the meeting between Peridot Turtle and his partner and him. He had been so busy trying to stay alive he hadn't taken the time to really look at her. He remembered the green, the special water features, and for some reason her shiny hair.

"I can't wait to meet this Peridot Turtle. She was so helpful today and I guess she she's really wise if she was able to prevent the rest of the aquarium from flooding." The teen model looked up from his homework and was amused by what he saw. "Are you grooming yourself?"

"Laugh all you want, but I am going to look good when we meet her. So you need to look your best as well."

"I'm the one that's transformed, you'll spend the entire meeting in the Miraculous." Plagg ignored him continuing with his cleaning. Soon it was time to sneak out, without being caught. Since Adrien started roaming around he had gained a great deal of stealth and confidence.

He hurried across the city keeping out of sight. His night vision helped him spot Ladybeetle swinging across the air. He hadn't seen her this energetic ever. She must be excited about meeting Peridot Turtle again. Together they both landed on the top of the tower looking around.

"Have you seen her yet?" he asked his partner. She shook her head and opened up her yo-yo checking the time. "This is the time she said to meet. So she has to be here somewhere."

"Actually, I've been here for a little bit," a female voice said as she slid down from on top of the observation deck elevator. Chat Noir and Ladybeetle finally got a good look at her outfit and her weapon. It was clear she was a Miraculous wielder, her glowing bracelet was a big indicator of that.

"It's nice to see you both in person again," Peridot Turtle mentioned.

"Yeah, you probably didn't get a good look at us when you saved us at the jewelry store."

Peridot Turtle giggled, "Oh we've met long before that. Allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Peridot Turtle, The Turtle Miraculous wielder, but more importantly, The Great Guardian of the Miraculous, their Kwamiis, and the chosen ones." She bowed to each of them.

"The Great Guardian? What does it mean exactly?" Ladybeetle asked anxiously. Tikki had told her before coming here to be respectful as possible.

"I'm sure you two have been asking Tikki and Plagg a lot of questions since you first saw me. It couldn't have been easy for them to keep secrets even when their magic forbids it. You see, we weren't supposed to meet for a while, but circumstances have forced my hand so to speak."

"What do you mean by that? How long have you been a Great Guardian and how do you know my kwami's name?" Chat Noir questioned her.

Peridot Turtle started rubbing her hands against the gemstone in her carapace and took a deep breath. "My job is to protect, rescue, and retrieve lost Miraculouses from falling into enemy hands. I am the one who watches and observes people so that if evil rises the chosen ones are matched perfectly with the right Miraculous to use. I've been in the shadows keeping an eye on you two as you've grown and mentored you in your civilian forms, ever since I gave you both your Miraculouses."

Both heroes stiffened upon hearing that. This girl knew who they really were? She explained that she inherited her role from her mentor who could no longer fight. She was new at this, but had some training to fall back on. "As a Turtle, I only intervene when the time is right. I chose you both, but I needed to see how well you learned to work as team before I could introduce myself."

"So are you like the leader of the four Miraculouses?" Ladybeetle asked curiously.

"There are seven Miraculous. I have mine and two more safely secured. You and Chat Noir have two of them. One is missing and the Butterfly is being abused by Hawkmoth."

"Maybe you could help us then with Hawkmoth. You obviously have a lot of power and skill. We could use your help and stop the Akumas. Maybe bring the fight to Hawkmoth."

The turtle girl shook her head and placed her hands on the duo's shoulders. "I chose you to help keep people safe and weaken Hawkmoth. He's masking his Miraculous and kwami's energy. Until you can find where he's hiding and weaken him, I can't take back the misused Miraculous."

"Then if you're not helping us, except for some mentoring, then what are you doing?" Ladybeetle asked with her arms crossed.

"For starters, I'm trying to increase our chances of success by finding the missing Miraculous before someone else does and uses its power for evil. Then there's keeping the other Miraculouses safe, observing people who could be matched up with the other Miraculouses if they are needed. Making sure past evils stay down," the Great Guardian replied ticking off the jobs on her fingers.

She explained how a lot of duties and special responsibilities fell to her and that some of them were only things a Great Guardian could do. However, she wasn't going to abandon them or quit helping them. "I'll still keep helping you from afar. You can contact me with your phone features, now that I've opened myself to you. If the situation requires it, I will come to your aid."

"What about you? What can we do to help you with your mission or if you run into trouble?"

"I wish I knew. My kwami is very insistent that I handle my job alone, because that's the way it's always been for Turtles," Peridot Turtle admitted with a frown.

"You don't have to do this alone. We can help if you give us a chance. At least think about it," Ladybeetle told her. The other teen nodded and started to go home when the spotted heroine's voice stopped her. "Since you gave us our Miraculouses then you know who we really are. Do we get to know who you really are as well?"

"Not tonight, but sooner rather than later. Goodnight you two. Keep being Miraculous!" She jumped off the deck, falling until her weapon ball latched onto a beam as she landed on the ground and took off for home.

"At least we know she's a friend and our teacher apparently," Ladybeetle told her partner.

"Yeah, if she was going to tell the world are secret identities she would have by now. I still wish she would let us help her. Goodnight Ladybeetle." The spotted heroine replied the same as the left in different directions heading for home. It had been an enlightening meeting.

After that meeting, Chat Noir and Ladybeetle became even more determined to find a way to discover Hawkmoth's location. They battled a couple more akumas, Kung Food, Le Gamer, and lastly, the class trip to the zoo came to abrupt end when Alya's dad was turned into Animan, when Chloe said all the animals would be better off as fashion accessories and refused to apologize even when Kim asked her to not bad mouth his choice for the class trip.

It had taken hours for Ladybeetle and Chat Noir to stop the shape shifter, and the result was that it ended up putting a temporary band for future class trips and student activities outside the schools walls. If Marinette hadn't been taught how to make a calming tea and soak all the class treats in them, she had doubt, limits or not, Hawkmoth would have caused a whole army of akumas, from marching across the city.

Marinette came home from her last small business training class and immediately proceeded to crash on her chase. The last session had been extremely tiring and it had taken hours to accomplish their final assignment. It had been worth it to be granted a certificate stating she had completed her training and could now complete her goal.

"I need a nap Wayzz, I can't even see straight right now," she moaned to the kwami. Wayzz gave a sleepy nod as he headed to his terrarium and nuzzled under on a rock before going off to dreamland. Marinette soon followed.

* * *

 _Marinette awoke to find herself back in the same room. The first thing she did was check the door. Everyone elses additions were still there, including the illusion of Master Fu on the other side, but now there was a several butterflies lining up around the top of the door. Something else to keep this room safe._

 _Looking up she saw the mural and the lights were still the same. The bench was right where it was supposed to be. The stain glass windows were still in the wall. The banners, wait banners? "So that's the difference this time."_

 _She walked to the last stain glass window of her as Chat Noiree. Hanging next to it was a banner. "No way, is that who I think it is?" she asked herself as she took a closer look at who was on the banner and what the silver stitching read._

 _The banner was red, except for a white circle with a figure in it. To her shock, it was Adrien, dressed in red body suit with a wing like cape attached to it. The caption read,_ _ **Conchillian**_ _._

 _Looking up she saw more banners and realized that banners were going in reverse order of the stain glass windows. So next to the empty stain glass window where Mariposa was supposed to be, was a banner that followed the same design of the previous one, except it was orange. In the picture, Adrien dressed up like a real fox and his hair was wild. His infectious grin appeared to have a few pointy teeth. He was called,_ _ **Malin**_ _._

 _The yellow one made him look a bit funny. He wore blue goggles over his eyes and bits of fuzz stuck out from the top part of the suit. For some reason the black stripes came together to form a fake stinger. The caption read,_ _ **Bumblebee.**_

 _The green one was a surprise to her. She just never pictured Adrien as a Turtle, but heer he was. The costume resembled something one would see in an anime if one was wearing a turtle suit. She noted how baggy the legs were. Her mind instantly translated the caption,_ _ **Gui Chel**_ _. Gui was the simplified Chinese word for turtle and chel was the first part of the word chelonian, the scientific word for the order turtles were found in._

 _The blue one was interesting. "I wonder how Adrien pulls this off considering he's allergic to feathers." He really looked like a male peacock, only the coloring was a bit more on the teal side. His fan only had four feathers and she hoped they were fake. The caption read_ _ **Teal Peacock**_ _._

 _Marinette nearly swooned at sight of Adrien dressed up like a butterfly prince. His delicate wings hung around him and he looked amazing in that suit. The way he held the cane was made him appear to be leading an army. The suit was a blend of different purples, which made sense since his name was_ _ **Ombre**_ _._

 _Of course the last one was him as he really was._ _ **Chat Noir**_ _saving the day and embracing the freedom that came with it. Sensing someone near her, Marinette spoke, "So why did you hang these banners Mariposa? Oh by the way, is the_ _ **he**_ _everyone keeps mention is the demon Wayzz showed me?"_

 _Mariposa stepped into the light holding one of her angels in her right hand. "To answer your second question, its yes and no. It is very difficult to explain the whole thing and I'm only you a sixth of the time. Perhaps your next visit you'll find someone who can explain the situation better."_

 _Mariposa tapped the banners and explained that the reason she put them up was because of her powers and how they related to Marinette. "Wayzz, told you about the truth about the past, but he is the one kwami that doesn't understand the concepts of love and soulmates."_

" _Add dddri…Adrien is my soul mate?! That's crazy!"_

 _Mariposa laughed and let her little angel fly about. It passed by all the banners and made them sparkle and created two interlocking hearts on each one. "Soulmate's exist, it's just the chances of finding that person can be difficult. Most of the time, not always, but most times, Miraculous wielders are soulmates with either their partner or someone else in the circle."_

 _I was supposed to be Ladybug and Adrien is Chat Noir, we would have grown very close working side by side and found love eventually. Put since I'm a Turtle now, he can only fall in love with one part of me for now._

" _We're dating now, so doesn't that mean we've found each other?"_

" _Not entirely, he doesn't know you're Peridot Turtle and he still thinks your oblivious to him being Chat Noir, only when soulmates express all parts of themselves do they complete one another. There has never been this kind of pairing before, but it presents a uniqueness that can help you."_

 _Marinette looked at Mariposa confused as the young girl tapped each banner as they walked around the room._

" _It never matters what Miraculous you have, Adrien is always by your side in one form or another. He can help you shoulder your burdens. You don't have to be alone in this quest, in fact, Adrien is the key to finding Duusu."_

" _He is? How?"_

" _I can't tell you that, but remember, love is a powerful emotion that can lead to the greatest changes. One more bit of wisdom, there is more to me than just making champions as there is much for you to still discover."_

 _With those words, all the little angels lifted Mariposa up and into her window. The last thing she saw before waking up was all those beautiful banners of Adrien's different forms._

* * *

Snapping awake, Marinette flipped on to the floor, which woke Wayzz up. He watched as his wielder was frantically calling her boyfriend and he felt excitement and hope coming through the bond.

He was suddenly snatched from his terrarium and shoved into Marinette's purse. "Come on Wayzz, Adrien has a one hour break. Hopefully he have the answers to where Duusu is."

Never before had Marinette run so fast and not trip over anything. She stopped a few minutes to clean herself up. Approaching the mansion, she requested permission to enter. Adrien met her on the steps. "So what's the rush? You sounded super excited."

"Inspiration just struck! I was looking at photos of my parents growing up and before they had me. Their clothes are old style, but some of those pieces looked as if they could still work with an update theme. I was hoping you could show me pictures of when your parents were young to help me with the new design I've been working on."

A lump formed in Adrien's throat. His mother had disappeared some time ago and most of her stuff and pictures of her now sat in a locked room upstairs, which he didn't have a key to do. He wasn't comfortable with talking about his mother just yet, but maybe he should. After all there was _one_ photo album his father missed.

"Um come on in. We can go to my room." As they entered the room Adrien made Marinette swear to never tell anyone the album he was about to show her. "My mom disappeared some time ago. We don't know what happened. My father doesn't like to talk about it."

"I won't tell him anything I promise. If this is too painful, you don't have to show me anything."

"It's okay, I want to." He pulled a book of a high shelf in his room and twisted open a lock. The book turned out to be hollow and inside was a small photo album. "It was the only one I could save before my mom's stuff was locked away."

They sat on the bed together as Adrien opened the photo album. The first picture was of Mrs. Agreste when she was a young teenager and she looked remarkably like her son. He turned the page showing a picture of father around the same age and boy did he look different. He work some dorky glasses, his hair hung in front of his face and he was wearing casual clothes.

Adrien talked about the stories he had been told about the pictures and how loving his mother was. Marinette smiled enjoying to learning about the Agreste family. As Adrien turned another page, there was a picture that caused her to gasp. "What about this picture, when was it taken?"

"Oh that one. It was at my parents' engagement party. My mother and father had a big celebration because it was also around the time that the _Gabriel_ Brand main office was christened. My parents even wore two pieces of jewelry that my father had made for the event, he said pointing out the two jewelry pieces, a butterfly broach and a peacock pin.

Except those jewelry pieces weren't custom designed. One she recognized thanks to the description Wayzz gave her and the other matched the empty slot in the Miraculous Chest. The Butterfly and Peacock Miraculouses! "These jewelry pieces are exquisite. Can I see them in person?"

"Sorry, my mom's piece was lost a couple years ago and I've never seen my dad wear his. He just said that he kept it in a safe place. I wish I could see them in person. My mom always wore her jewel until she lost it."

That settles it, Duusu's Miraculous is somewhere in this mansion. Somehow I have to find it and take it back, without Adrien realizing I'm the thief! This is going to be hard she thought to herself.


	7. Lost now Found

**Important announcements. One, I switched the order of one episode because it was important to the flow of the chapter. Two, I know I told reviewers I would finish this in eight chapters, but I realize that I need to add two extra chapters if I'm to cover everything I want accurately for all of you. Three, I'm giving a person who was akumatized, but not seen a chance to appear in this chapter. Four, I love all your reviews and stuff, but I would appreciate it if you stopped mentioning how my story should go. I have a plan and I wish write this in my own words. Thank you and enjoy.**

* * *

"So we've located Duusu, she's in the Agreste manor," Wayzz said excitedly.

Marinette frowned, "Perhaps, there were three other pictures in that album that showed them wearing the Miraculouses, but two of them had Mrs. Agreste with the Butterfly Miraculous and Mr. Agreste with the Peacock, and the other two were vice versa."

Wayzz nodded and recalled that there was a painting in the manor that showed Mrs. Agreste surrounded by butterflies. At the same time though the label of the Agreste brand was a butterfly. A few years ago, he had an entire line based on the bird. According to Adrien, Mrs. Agreste loved peafowls, and had collected figurines and the bird was her favorite.

"Do you recall if Mr. Agreste was the holder who never returned Duusu?"

Wayzz pinched his face, but he couldn't recall at all. "There were side effects from me being abused and my powers used to kill people. It effected my memory, I have difficulty remembering certain events."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? That's part of the reason you wanted me to do all that research isn't it? I don't understand Wayzz, why didn't Master Fu heal you?"

"He did, but to truly heal I would have needed to spend a few years in my Miraculous. When Kwamiis are dormant, we not only sleep and recharge, damage to our psyche is fixed. Master Fu begged me to rest for three years in my Miraculous, but I refused on the grounds I must always be active."

Marinette shook her head. "Wayzz, you really need to start taking care of yourself, if you don't you'll never be happy. As soon as things are peaceful again you are going to rest for a good long while, no exceptions."

Wayzz was shocked, but he figured he could he could talk Marinette out of it when the time came. His job was too important to be dormant for such a long time. Right now they needed to focus on the job at hand. Figuring out where in the mansion Duusu was hidden. "Your other self was certain that Duusu would be found in the Agreste mansion, so we will focus on finding her."

Marinette rolled her eyes. It's not that she didn't want to retrieve Duusu, it was the fact that she felt like she was taking advantage over Adrien. It wasn't like she could just ask him to give her blueprints to the mansion and find a secret safe. "Adrien doesn't know where the Miraculous is. All he told me was that his mom lost hers and his dad hid his in a safe place. A mansion like that has to have at least a few safes, but he doesn't know where any of them are."

"That does pose a problem. Maybe you could get closer to Mr. Agreste? Find out his secrets?" The look Marinette gave the kwami cause such a fright he hid under the rock in his terrarium Okay Mr. Agreste is off limits he thought. Who else can we ask? The Gorilla doesn't talk, Nathalie would be suspicious if Marinette asked questions. Talking to Chloe would be just a bad idea. Oh, what could they do to get a better look at the house?

"Face it Wayzz, there is no way I'm going to be able to find a safe in that house without losing my boyfriend or being blacklisted," Marinette moaned. Why did it have to be Adrien's family that had Duusu! "My brain hurts, you stay here. I'm going to bake something. It always helps me when I have a problem I can't solve."

Downstairs her parents were busying in the bakery making new pastries. With the increase in the business's popularity, combined with the need to get some extra money to help Marinette's dream come true, her family had been slowly introducing new items to their store's menu. Today the new recipe was for lotus seed buns. It was a Chinese pastry made from steamed yeast dough and wrapping it around lotus seeds. "Smells good, how long have you been steaming that dough?"

"For about three hours to make it just right. Do you want to help us put in the seeds and fold them into buns?" Sabine asked.

"Yes, this smells so good. I hope we have a few left over to eat for ourselves."

"I do as well. A true baker must sample all his work to make sure he can perfect the recipe. I can't wait to eat my share." Father and daughter worked together to make the best buns they ever had. They even dyed some of the dough to make colored buns. Marinette added a different amount of lotus seeds to the treats, hoping to discover which amount was the best to use.

As they placed their treats in the display case, once more Marinette wondered how she was going to find Duusu in the Agreste mansion. She had already been inside for a few times, but a dormant kwami was difficult to detect and her Miraculous wasn't giving her any hints of where to look. She really wished Belle Bleue had been a little more helpful by telling her where she found the Miraculous.

If she just let me talk to Duusu, I wouldn't be struggling so much. Wait talk? Why didn't I think of it before? I can contact Duusu! I need to talk to Wayzz right away!

When Marinette told him her idea, Wayzz wasn't sure if it would work. "The last time you connect with Duusu, you were in a state of limbo as you were working to come out of Hibernation. It's not safe for you to use Hibernation when nothing is wrong."

"There's got to be some way to contact her. What about Trixx or Pollen?"

Wayzz reminded her that neither one had that kind of power. Asking help from Tikki and Plagg was not an option, and even though they had a probable location, Duusu was still dormant, reaching her might me impossible.

Marinette wouldn't give up! She kept listing possibilities, meditation was not an option. She would have to have been a Miraculous wielder for at least three years before she could connect with the other six Kwamiis anytime she wanted.

What about dreaming? She had been clearly receiving unusual dreams lately. Couldn't she send one to her? Wayzz hated to admit it, but it was easier for Nooroo to do that because emotion and change usually comes from deep within the unconscious mind.

The young teen kept tapping her head. Something had to work! If she could just quiet her mind down a bit, and enter that same limbo state, as she was in before, she knew she would be able to reach Duusu. She kept scanning the web pages until something caught her eye. There!

"Hypnotist and party entertainer Simon Grimault, will be making a special appearance, along with Jagged Stone, and Mr. Gabriel Agreste on TVI special segment, "From Unknown to Fame," this Wednesday night." This is perfect!

She was already dialing Adrien's phone praying he would be able to answer it. "Marinette? I can't talk long, I have to get back to my basketball practice."

"I'm sorry Adrien, I forgot. I just saw this announcement about the TV segment your father's going to be in. Are you going to the show by any chance?"

"I have to go, you know show the family unity. Father said I could bring one guest along. I was going to ask Nino, but turns out he has a party to DJ that night. You want to come?"

"Wild horses couldn't keep me away." Yes she was in! If she could talk to Simon, he might do his trick on her and she could make brief contact with Duusu. This was going to work.

* * *

Being at the TV station was very exciting. Marinette had been here a few times before, mostly when she was dropping Manon off if her Nadja couldn't get off work on time, but this was the first time she had been allowed in an actual studio!

"This is exciting, I've never had a chance to be in the audience of show before. What is your dad doing for his segment of the show?" she asked bouncing up and down with excitement. She had chosen to wear one of her outfits she designed for a dating outfit collection for last summer's fashion camp. She was wearing a ruffled pink top with a light yellow ribbon attached to the front, a pleated yellow and pink skirt, with low black boots and fashionable hat with a fake feather in it.

Adrien had to wipe the drool off his face as he looked at his girlfriend. She was really making him look like a slob these days. "I'm not sure, he didn't tell me. Anyways were to wait here in the green room, until they come to get us for our seats."

Inside the green room, was Simon Grimault, who was shuffling his cards and practicing, for his part of the TV segment. He was also taking to himself making sure he wouldn't start talking in gibberish. He looked up when he saw the two teens enter. "Ah the famous Mr. Adrien Agreste graces my presence and his lovely lady friend is quite fetching. Will you be on the segment with your father tonight?"

Before Adrien could correct him Marinette spoke boldly, "So do you know real hypnosis or are your cards to help give suggestions to people?"

"It is always nice to meet a fan. You're very smart. I don't hypnotize people, I use my talents to put people in a relaxed state where I can show them a card and suggested they do what is on it. As they come out of the relaxed state they generally laugh at what they did."

"So you never make them do anything embarrassing or illegal?" Adrien asked.

"No, the cards are harmless suggestions. Take this star card, when I suggest they act like a star most people pretend they're an actor or sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. Harmless."

Marinette asked him if he needed someone to use for his segment and volunteered herself. Adrien was surprised by that considering how shy Marinette could be. Remembering how excited she was to be here, maybe she just wanted fifteen minutes of fame. He couldn't fault her for that.

A few minutes later the kids were leaving when a manager from the set arrived. "I'm sorry, Mr. Grimault, but we have to drop you from the show."

"What do you mean by that? The show starts in ten minutes and I was guaranteed a spot by my agent. I even have the contract right here!"

"I apologize Mr. Grimault, but someone from the mayor's office just called and told us that we had to drop you from the show to make room for the Mayor. The executives aren't willing to risk their careers over an issue like this. I'm sorry."

Marinette couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Mayor appeared regularly on TV, had his own online radio show, not to mention a documentary about his "humble" beginnings to fame had been broadcasted on all channels last month. This was very disrespectful and to do it at the last minute was a slap in the face, telling Simon he wasn't worth anything. She watched Simon leave in tears and felt so bad for him.

Adrien and her had just sat down, when the Bourgeois arrived. The Mayor was issuing out orders as he was getting make up done. Directly behind him was Chloe and she was wearing something new. Instead of her normal shoes she was wearing boots. She smiled flirty at Adrien, before giving Marinette a dark look.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Marinette whispered. The show had just started, as Alic and Nadja started asking questions, when someone threw the doors open and in stepped Jackaday. It appeared Hawkmoth had found his next victim.

"Hello everyone! I know you all came to see a spectacular show, but of course the big man had to come an ruin it for you all. Don't worry folks; I'll restore your previous program."

The Mayor furiously got up yelling at the akuma and telling him to stop ruining his night, when Jackaday slapped him with a card with a baby face on it. Immediately the Mayor started acting like a baby. Jackaday laughed and tossed more commands at the audiences making them do all sorts of crazy stunts.

Then he turned his sights on the hosts, the other guests and spotted Adrien trying to get away with Marinette. "I don't think so. Jackaday commands you to turn around and come back here." Instantly Adrien found himself sitting next to his father, while Jackaday was holding Marinette by her wrists. "LET HER GO!"

"Adrien, quiet!" his father hissed holding his son back from making an ill-advised move. Turning to Jackaday; he asked in calm controlled voice. "What do you want from us?"

"To make all of you suffer. This was supposed to be my first TV appearance. My agent would be booking me for more shows and performances." He waved his card hand at the hosts and the other guest. "Apparently I wasn't _important enough_ to not be kicked off ten minutes before show time!" Again he gestured to the hosts telling them they could have said no to the Mayor and he was angry at the other guests, who already had enough fame that it wasn't a big deal if there appearance on camera, didn't happen.

"You are the worst person up here young Agreste."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Adrien demanded. He kept his eyes on Marinette who had stopped struggling to get free.

She was looking at the Akuma waiting for her chance to run and get free. She let out a yelped as Jackaday pulled her up until she was even to his head. "I saw that look you gave your girlfriend. You were not only jealous, but angry that I agreed to let her on the set with me instead of you. You have enough fame boy toy, why not let others take a turn in the spotlight?"

"Please put me down Mr. Jackaday. I know how you feel, I have to deal with someone like the Mayor everyday getting whatever she wants and putting down others. In fact, she was here a few moments ago. But doing this won't solve the situation. I don't think you want to hurt me. There will be other chances to be on TV," Marinette pleaded.

The Akuma gave her a tender smile. "You my lovely lady, are the only one who doesn't deserve to be hurt. Your kindness and understanding heart shouldn't have to be tarnished by these people. For you, I'll set you free from this place."

Jackaday gently tapped a card with a symbol for dreaming on Marinette's head. "Sleep lovely lady and dream sweet dreams." Marinette yawned once and felt her eyes get heavy. Soon she was sleeping peacefully on the floor.

* * *

Marinette felt herself slipping away from her body as she floated upward. The world around her was slightly distorted, as if it was just out of focus. She looked down at herself. She was slightly see through, but mostly solid at least to her. When she tried to press her hand on the camera that had been abandon and it went through, but she remained on top of the floor.

" _What is going on? Why does my voice echo like this?"_

 _Wayzz poked his head out of her purse and flew up. He looked just like her. Due to their bond he had fallen asleep with her. "You are astral projecting, you set your spirit free to journey on the astral plane, which connects to the dream world at night. The Akuma's powers must have activated this ability by accident."_

" _Will I be stuck like this forever?"_

 _Wayzz shook his head. As long as she could return to her body and it remained normal, she could snap back to it as soon as the Akuma was defeated. Also, in the astral plane time moved differently, so even if Ladybeetle and Chat Noir defeated the akuma in an hour, it would be like three had passed here._

" _We need to use whatever time we have to confirm if Duusu is in the Agreste mansion and figure out where that safe is. You simply have to think about where you want to go and your astral body will take you there. Be cautious, we don't know what other spirits are wandering in this place right now."_

 _Closing her eyes Marinette pictured herself in the Agreste mansion and found herself standing in the foyer. She saw Nathalie working frantically on a strange consul and her eyes kept darting to large flat screen in the room._

 _The channel was broadcasting the akuma attack. It appeared that Jackaday had taken his revenge on Jagged Stone by literally turning him flat with one card and his pet and friend into dolls. Now he was pursuing the Agreste who had managed to get away and were heading to the mansion for safety._

" _I hope Adrien and his dad are okay."_

" _Let's just hope they brought your body with them. It's always a good idea to keep the body as close to the spirit you when your astral self is walking about," Wayzz told her. "Come let's find Duusu."_

 _Marinette floated up the stairs and started calling out for Duusu. "Duusu! Duusu are you here? Can you hear me? Duusu where are you?" she asked anxiously._

 _She walked over to Mr. Agreste's bedroom doors. They were most likely locked, but that didn't stop a spirit from entering the room. What she saw was not what she expected to find at all._

 _The room was slightly bigger than Adrien's, but instead of being filled with a teenage boy's dream, it was sophisticated. Unlike the rest of the house, this room had a beautiful carpet made from the softest wool dyed cornflower blue that covered the entire floor. The walls had a dozen different large scale photos on them. The pictures were either from collections from the past or of different family members. Hanging opposite of the king size bed was a family portrait, most likely taken several years ago, judging by the appearances of the family. Adrien looked really cute as a five year old._

 _Tasteful furniture had been arranged near the windows, to gaze at the elegant view outside. There were a few dress forms with half-finished designs on them, as if Mr. Agreste had some sudden burst of inspiration and had to make it real. There were a knickknacks collection from him his travels set around the room._

" _Whoa, it's almost like a shrine to his entire career and family in here. I never suspected this would be his room."_

" _I doubt anyone would have guessed this based on Mr. Agreste's personality. He keeps his private life very private."_

 _The sound of a bird call made them stiffen. They looked around, but couldn't find the source. They heard the call again this time coming from the hallway. Rushing out the room they followed the sound of the bird call. The sound was coming from another room. "I think it's coming from the third floor. Let's go."_

 _They climbed the stairs and hurried through the hallway, the call getting louder and louder. At the end of the hallway, was a small room, the door locked. Entering the room, Marinette instantly realized where she was. This was the room where Mr. Agreste had stored everything belonging to his wife. Here she could literally feel sadness, confusion, and grief._

 _Sitting on top of a wardrobe was a small kwami that was blue, had feathers, and was singing with a single tear coming from her eyes. Like them she was slightly see through and the area around her was distorted. "Duusu?" Marinette asked hesitantly._

 _The kwami opened her eyes and spotted the astral projections. "Great Guardian, Wayzz! I sensed you were nearby once more, but this time as spirits! If you hadn't come like this, I doubt you would have heard my call at all, while I slumber."_

 _Duusu flew over to them shaking hands with Wayzz and telling Marinette she was a beautiful Great Guardian. The teen looked embarrassed by the praise. "We've been trying to find you Duusu. Are you here in this mansion?"_

 _Duusu nodded her head. "I'm in this mansion, but not in this room, I know that for certain. My Miraculous was rejected in a moment of intense grief and anger. Even now, as I slumber, I can still feel echoes of grief that hasn't been healed. A terrible feeling for a healer."_

 _Wayzz, who understood what that felt like, patted on her shoulder. "You've done your best Duusu, but you can't stay here anymore. You need to come home."_

" _I want to Wayzz, but you know it's not that simple. I was rejected, but if I'm hearing echoes from the bond that means…."_

" _Your last wielder might reclaim you one day. I didn't know that was the case."_

 _So if a person rejects the Miraculous, but isn't ready to let it go, there's a chance they might be reactivated by their previous wielder. If that's the case here, I have to use the sorrow breaker Marinette thought. She shuddered at the thought of using that pendulum.  
_

 _Duusu locked eyes with Marinette. "Please don't use the sorrow breaker to free me. I don't think my past wielder can deal with anymore grief. Perhaps you can talk to my wielder and persuade the wielder to give me to you?"_

" _We'll try, but you know the chances of that are slim if your wielder hasn't returned you by now. Can you tell us where your Miraculous is hidden?" Wayzz informed her._

" _The safe, behind the painting of gold and butterflies, on the first floor. That was the last thing I saw before I went dormant again. It must still be there, because I've never been able to astral project outside the house."_

 _Marinette nodded, she had confirmation and a location of the safe. The painting she mentioned had to be the one of Mrs. Agreste that she had seen before and it was big enough to hide a safe in the wall without being obvious. "It might take a little more time, but I promise I will bring you home and do my best not to harm your past wielder."_

 _Duusu nodded pleased. Her feather's lifted up and glowed. "Our time is up, we must return to our bodies. Be careful, you two. Until we met again." She vanished from sight and Marinette felt a sharp tug._

 _She phased out of the room following the tug. Entering Adrien's room, she found him hovering over her still sleeping body. He was very anxious and scared. Not wishing to see him like that she returned to her body._

Blinking open her eyes, she sat up in the bed. Instantly she was engulfed in a hug and tears fell onto her outfit. "I was so worried about you Marinette! Ladybeetle and Chat Noir defeated Jackaday fifteen minutes ago and fixed everything, but you remained asleep. I was worried you might never wake."

She hugged him back and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm fine, I was having a nice dream and I guess I didn't want to leave until it finished. How long have I been resting?"

"An hour and a half. I thought my father was going to kill me, when I refused to leave you behind in the studio, when Ladybeetle gave us an opening to escape," Adrien whispered. He looked down at her and remembered the incredible strength he discovered as he carried her bridal style from the station to here before finally letting her go when the security system went up.

"Well it all worked out in the end," Marinette said brightly. She didn't tell him that for a moment before he hugged her, she felt like someone was watching her from the astral plane. Dismissing it, she got up and ready to head home.

* * *

Marinette was having a girl's day at Sabrina's house. Sabrina was slowly recovering from her stress induced health issues, but it could take a few years until her body completely recovered. To Marinette's delight, Mireille and her best friend Aurora, had also been invited to come over.

The girls were lounging around in the room. Healthy snacks and lemonade had been provided for refreshments. Each girl had something with them related to a hobby they liked and also brought stories to tell, and some materials for the makeover for their host. Sabrina had invited them over to help her find out what she liked and wanted to do with her post Chloe's best friend life.

"So anyways I was skating alongside Sabrina, she had finally taken off the training wheels. I was trying to teach her to break hard, because she wasn't ready for a downhill speed, but she couldn't stop herself!" Alix was telling the story as she stuffed a strawberry down her mouth. "You should have seen her! I think she was clocking twenty mph!"

"It felt like a whole more, especially when I mixed up the gears and the brakes. I was lucky Ladybeetle was patrolling and managed to stop my bike before it shot into the street," Sabrina admitted. She didn't notice the small look of triumph on Mireille's face. "I think I'll put off learning to ride downhill for some time."

Alix waved her hand saying was no big deal. "When you want to try again, just come to me. I even got you this cool helmet!" From her bag, she removed a black helmet with racing stripes on it.

"I think you're a bit obsessed with sports accessories Kubdel. You're brother on the other hand, he spends too much time with his nose in a dusty book," Aurora pointed out. She and Mireille were sitting on old bean bag chairs. Alix was on the floor a few from her. Aurora was new to the group so it was taking a bit of time to adjust to her presence.

"Don't mess with my brother or he might go all Pharaoh on you."

"Then he be getting a taste of Stormy Weather."

"Lady Wi-Fi would have love to film you Stormy Weather vs Time Breaker. What about you Mylene, can the Horrificator beat them both?"

"Maybe, but only if Stoneheart was there by my side."

"The real question would be who would win a fight against Bubbler, Dark Cupid, Evilstrator, or Gamer," Mireille added in a dramatic voice before pretending to swoon.

Sabrina looked at the girls with frank expression. "How can you all joke about something like that? When my dad was turned into one I was so scared for him. He could have ended up really hurt."

Marinette patted Sabrina's shoulder. "I'm sorry, we didn't mean to upset you. The student reps thought it would be a good idea to make a support group for people who have been turned into akumas and the effect it had on their friends, family and others."

"It's been really helping my Dad and I. He feels so bad about ruining our day at the zoo, but he and that Theo guy, the one who made the sculptures in the park, they're bonding and helping each other heal," Alya explained.

The other girls agreed saying they first learn to take control over what happened to them by making their Akumanzation less scary by laughing at it. Rose and Juleka mentioned they had attended a few sessions to help the stay positive and not let negative emotions take them over.

Sabrina nodded, noting she would suggest that for her dad. She picked up some lavender nail polish, some eye liner and a brush. "So who wants to give me a makeover?"

Rose giggled as she took over painting nails. Juleka started applying the makeup and Aurora was the one who took the brush as she started to improve Raincomprix's hair style. Behind her Mireille started picking out hair accessories, why Alix and Mylene argued over jewelry and shoes. Alya was filming the whole thing calling out advice.

While this was going on Marinette was making sure the outfit she selected for Sabrina to try on was not wrinkled. She didn't want the outfit to be totally out of Sabrina's comfort zone, but show her that she had a few options.

Sabrina was taking a big first step in finding a new look to show that she was a new person. Her new friends had promised not to overwhelm her and if she got frustrated or stressed, they would back off.

Twenty minutes later Sabrina looked in her full length mirror checking out her new look. Her hair was the same color, but now had a layering look with a few curls giving it some bounce. Two heart shaped barrettes clipped back her bangs. She wore light green eye shadow, with long eyelashes. Her face had a bit of color added to it and they had swapped out her princess pink lipstick, for a fuchsia one.

Around her neck was a delicate gold chain with key on it. On her wrist was a gold charm bracelet. One of them was a lock. When you fit the key into the lock and it opened you could put a small picture of someone inside. Small gold hoops hung in her ears.

The outfit was very comfortable and new look without losing her identity. She had on a purple elbow length shirt with a few argyle diamonds on the front. A bright blue belt helped keep up a pinkish purple skirt with lines running through it. Instead of leggings, she wore knee length white socks with some punk style boots.

It was different and in a good way. The outfit was simple yet fashionable. Her make up highlighted her features, but wasn't so obvious she had any on. The jewelry had the unique charms, she really liked. The boots were not her first choice, but she could get use to them. She really loved her hair. "Thank you everyone, I love my new look. I'm going to go show my parents right now!"

Everyone cheered happy to help Sabrina find her own path. A make-over was a start. Now helping her find a hobby just for her, might take a little more time.

* * *

Life was never easy, especially when someone was juggling as much as Marinette was. Since she learned about the location of Duusu and her Miraculous, the bluenette had been trying to figure out the best way to retrieve it. "I want to avoid stealing it back if we can. Duusu really thinks her wielder would be devastated beyond help if we broke the bond with the sorrow breaker," Marinette commented as she looked at the pendulum dangling from her hands.

She could feel the power inside the magical crystal. It was a quite hum for now, but she couldn't help, but shiver at the memory of watching Master Fu use it. With Keung he had no choice, but did she? It was still unclear who was bonded with Duusu.

"As I told Duusu that is a long shot at best. Her wielder rejected her and has selfishly kept her. The bond is weak, her past wielder will barely feel a thing!" Wayzz assured Marinette. The teen wanted a second opinion.

A short time later she was at Alya's house who didn't have to watch her little sisters today because they were on a play date. "I like to propose a hypothetically question to you."

"Oh challenging, I like those. What do you got?" Alya said as she propped her head on her fist as laid on the couch.

"What if you were trying to get something back that belonged to you, but you gave it to a friend for a time, except now that they've grown attached to it and don't want to give it back?"

Alya raised an eyebrow and wondered what prompted this question. "Did Chloe take something from you a long time ago and didn't give it back, because if she did you should have your parents demanded for it back."

Marinette waved her hands in protest informing her that she would never lent anything to Chloe. Besides the question was hypothetical. Alya nodded and thought for a moment before replying. "You should just take it back no questions asked. It was a loan and you always have to pay back your loans no matter what."

"Isn't that technically stealing?"

"How is it stealing if the supposed object belonged to you in the first place? It doesn't matter if the person's attached to it, you have to show you're not a pushover."

"Even if the person the object is loaned to gets upset?" Alya nodded stating that the person only caused their own sadness and a person shouldn't be bothered by taking back what was rightfully theirs. It seemed that both Wayzz and Alya believed that the moral concepts didn't apply to this situation.

Marinette walked home still thinking about the dilemma she faced. If she could just convince the past wielder to return Duusu then she wouldn't have to break into her boyfriend's house and avoid being captured by the Gorilla or the security system. "I know that as the Guardian, I have to do some unethical things from time to time, but I don't want to atone for breaking and entering or stealing."

Maybe she could approach Mr. Agreste as Peridot Turtle and ask nicely for Duusu back. No, too risky, especially since she knew how much he hated having to depend on Ladybeetle and Chat Noir to protect him from Jackaday. Leave him a note? Complicated, but possible. Then again he had the resources to find out where a note came from, even if she typed it up.

She would not drag Adrien into this mess. She was willing to risk her identity, but not his. If Mr. Agreste discovered the truth about Adrien, he would be caged up again and that would end up killing him. What other means of communications did have? Well there was one crazy idea and she could give it a try.

It was a few days later. Mr. Agreste was in his business office reviewing reports from his different departments. He frowned when he read the proposal for a slight increase in the formal wear department. He'd already given them a generous budget, if they needed more they should have planned better.

He was just about to call them when something that didn't belong fell out of his personal mail pile. It was a postcard with a picture of a peacock on the front, turning it over there was no return address and the stamp indicated it was local being sent yesterday. Judging how quickly it got here, it had to come from the public mailbox just down the street from his building. That mailbox was used throughout the day, it would be nearly impossible to figure out who sent it.

The message was written in cut out letters from a variety of newspapers, magazines, and a brochure. A few pictures had been thrown in also. It was clear the sender didn't want to be identified by handwriting and by the slight smell of plastic, gloves had been used to avoid leaving fingerprints. There wasn't even any scents attached to it. Clever indeed.

"To Mr. Agreste, I am (a picture of a turtle) of the (picture of a jewelry set). I know that you have Duusu. Her (a picture of a spirit hovering over a body) told me her location. She has begged me to not (a picture of two hands shaking in red circle with a slash through) with her past wielder. I don't know if you or your (picture of a bride), was her past wielder. What I do know, is Duusu wants to come home. Hawkmoth is only one of many (picture of a supervillain) to come out of the wood works. She will be needed in the future to protect Paris. Please, (a picture of a person getting out of jail), and let her come home. You can respond to this by putting a small ad in the paper with a coded message. Think about Duusu's health please. Sincerely, (a picture of a turtle)."

Mr. Agreste looked at the postcard in shock. He quickly called Nathalie and told her to cancel everything for that day. He hurried home silently thankful that Adrien was at fencing today. He went to the painting of his wife and swung it open, and began checking to make sure everything was still in there. The Peacock Miraculous was still there resting against the picture of his wife. The Miraculous was dormant as ever, not even a hint of its magical properties. He didn't even know that a kwami's spirit could speak when they were dormant.

This must be a new Great Guardian if there unsure of which Miraculous belong to my wife and I. They only know that she's here in the mansion in a safe. The Great Guardian wants to avoid a conflict without having to break the bond between wielder and kwami Gabriel thought.

He pulled out the pin and rubbed its surface. Duusu did belong with the other Miraculous if Hawkmoth was just the first evil to haunt Paris. The Miraculous should have been returned a long time ago. "I can't, I'm sorry, but I can't let you go Duusu. You are the only link to a time in my life where everything was perfect." He put the pin back and locked the safe once more. Straightening up, he strode off to set up the ad in the paper.

The next morning Marinette went out and bought every newspaper she could find and began scanning the ads section. She finally found the response she was looking for. A turtle plus talking about a peacock. Then a peacock and a shaking head and a turtle looking sad. The message was clear. Mr. Agreste was not going to give the Miraculous back to the Great Guardian. Her plea hadn't worked, now she had no choice, but to devise a plan to steal back the Miraculous.

* * *

Devastated by this, Marinette really didn't pay much attention to what was going on around her for the next few days. It was Wednesday again and she was sitting in her room playing dolls with Manon. The little girl was enjoying being Ladybeetle and Chat Noir, while Marinette was playing the role of villain with her newly complete doll, the Magician of Misfortune.

"When did Ladybeetle and Chat Noir deal with that one? Who is he?" Manon asked eagerly.

"Well he's a boy in Mireille's class." Manon eyes got star struck. "The class was performing a little talent show for some elementary kids for a community service project. Jean was going to do some magic tricks, but before he went on he found out someone had vandalized his props and costumes."

"Van da leas?" Manon asked as she tried to say the word. She was very attentive as Marinette explained the word meant someone destroyed something that belonged to someone else to hurt their feelings.

"The Magician of Misfortune, wanted revenge for having his act being ruined, but Ladybeetle and Chat Noir saved the day before he made the Eiffel Tower disappear forever." She didn't mention that was after Chat Noir saved his partner from being sawed in half. Manon didn't need the gory details.

"Whoa, can we play that out, but make something else disappear!" Her little eyes darted around before lighting up. She hurried to the toy chest and pulled out a little stuffed bird. She tossed the animal to Marinette and they started their new game.

"You can't stop me, I'm the great Magician of Misfortune, and ah that is a mouthful. Can we just call him Magician?" Manon nodded and they started to play again. Marinette used her pretend powers to try to stop Manon's dolls, but the little girl was winning when Nadja came upstairs to collect her daughter.

"Manon it's time to go. Put the dolls away, we need to get going." The little girl whined not wanting to leave just yet. When her mother tried to take the dolls from her, Manon accidentally ripped Ladybeetle's.

"Now look at what you've done. You can't always have what you want Manon. Apologize Manon and grab your bag. I'll meet you downstairs in a minute."

"Sorry Marinette."

"It's okay, I can fix this. By the time you come over next it will be good as new. Maybe you can help me make doll that looks just like you!" Manon giggled and grabbed her bag. With Marinette's back turned, she didn't notice the little girl snatch up the Magician doll and hide it in her backpack.

As soon as the little girl was gone, Marinette retrieved all of Wayzz's stuff from the hiding place and reset his home up. The little kwami came back in the room as he had been on the balcony sunning by her little garden. "She's still a bit grabby isn't she?"

"Manon is a little girl, she'll grow out of it. I just want to relax today Wayzz. It's been a busy couple of days and rather not be dwelling on everything I have to do or wait for." She pulled out a small bottle of freshly made essential oil. "I even did my homework assignment for you. I created an essential oil that not only has curative properties, but can block evil and free the mind of darkness."

Wayzz took a sniff. The lavender and rosemary blended together with an only a bit of sage in the mixture as well. This oil could be used to help free a person temporarily from being controlled by Hawkmoth. They hadn't tested it yet, but she was sure it would work. She had followed Wayzz instructions to the letter.

The two of them sat there quietly as she worked on fixing the damaged Ladybeetle doll, when it began to get cold in the room. There was a loud bang and tons of stage smoke. While the smoke still covered the room, Marinette hastily threw some shirts over the terrarium and Wayzz dove into her pocket.

"Presenting the one, the only, Magician of Misfortune! I want those dolls Marinette and I want them now!" The akuma said, but it wasn't his voice. It was Manon's!

"Manon?! What's going on?"

"Give me the dolls now! I want all the dolls you have!" Magician tapped his hat with his wand releasing stage smoke once again as it collected the villain dolls. It was inching closer to the duo's dolls. Marinette snatched them and climbed frantically up to her bed and out to the balcony.

The Magician reappeared on the balcony. "Foolish Marinette, did you really think you could keep me from the dolls?"

A yo-yo came out of nowhere pulling the Magician's hat away from him as Chat Noir scooped Marinette up and carried her to safety. Ladybeetle stood confidently on the roof. "Time to upstage you Magician." She ripped the hat in two expecting the akuma to come on out, but nothing happened.

"Bad choice Ladybeetle. Once my dolls come to life I'll be able to add you and Chat Noir to my collection." Magician/Manon sang. "Long live the Puppeteer!" In a flash of smoke he was gone.

Chat Noir set Marinette back on the balcony as the two heroes tried to understand what just happened. "I destroyed his hat, his akuma should have come out."

"Yeah, but did you hear him talking? He sounded like a frustrated little kid."

"That's because he's being controlled by one," Marinette interjected. "He sounds just like Manon, the girl I babysit. She loves those doll and he mentioned the Puppeteer, that's got to be her. You have to help her."

Ladybeetle assured her they would and took Chat Noir's doll and he took hers. They headed to the TV studio telling Marinette it was too dangerous for her to follow. "They're going to get brainwashed if I don't do something. Wayzz get the oil and transform me."

* * *

Twenty minutes later things were not going good for Ladybeetle. She had dropped Chat Noir's doll. He was holding the doll of her up to Puppeteer who was going on about how she was going to enjoy playing with her. "Time to become my dolly!" Manon laughed. She liked her collection of Lady Wi-Fi, Magician, Rogercop and Chat Noir. Now she would have Ladybeetle too!

"I'm no one's doll. Lucky Ch…." The words died on Ladybeetle's lips as she became a puppet. Puppeteer cheered ordering the duo to stand before her and give her the Miraculouses. Back in his lair; Hawkmoth was ready to jump for joy. Finally, he would succeed.

The moment before the Miraculouses were removed, both teens had ball weight wrap around them as they were pulled to the ceiling. On one of the rafter's was Peridot Turtle.

"Who are you and why are you taking my dolls away?!"

"I'm Peridot Turtle, I'm the mentor of these two and you shouldn't take things that belong to others Manon."

"My name is Puppeteer! Ladybeetle and Chat Noir, get her Miraculous and bring it to me as well as your own." The two heroes broke free of the weapon as the villains edged closer.

Peridot Turtle moved, jumping around and dodging attacks. The duo attacked her, but their weapons didn't break her shell or carapace. Landing on the ground, she rushed towards Puppeteer.

The little girl waved her magic wand, but without a doll version of the heroine it was useless on her. Peridot snagged the wand and jumped back into the rafters making her way towards the duo. Holding her ground she waited for them to come to her. As they sprinted towards her, she splashed them with the essential oil she made.

Both of them blinked a few times and looked confused. "What the? Why are we, Peridot Turtle?"

"No time for talking! Destroy this and purify the akuma fast!" Doing as they were asked within a two minutes everything was back to normal and Manon was apologizing profusely for the trouble she caused.

"Now, now, let's get you back to your mom. In the future, you shouldn't take things without asking or if you've been told no," Peridot Turtle advised the little girl, who giggled. She turned to the duo and told them she would be in touch in a few days to discuss something of importance with them.

Back in his lair, Hawkmoth was throwing a bigger temper tantrum, then Manon ever did. He didn't even notice when he detransformed or that Nooroo was enjoying watching the show. He just kept screaming next time would be different.

* * *

It was Saturday night and Mireille was finishing up her homework. Tikki was on the desk helping her. "So in conclusion, the process of going from a monarchy to a republic was a long odious journey that helped France become the country it is today. Does that sound good enough?"

"I think your history teacher will be very pleased by your report. Learning history, especially true history, is something enjoyable to do," Tikki remarked. Her wielder smiled before logging on to the LadyNoir blog, checking out the recent updates from the site. There was a poll up asking how many people thought that LadyNoir was a real couple or not.

"I can't believe eighty percent of people believe I'm in a relationship with my partner Tikki. Chat Noir is a bit too wild and independent for me."

The kwami shrugged her shoulders. "It's Alya you know. She wants to be a great reporter, but she needs to learn to double check her facts. Thankfully, she hasn't gotten any pictures of Peridot Turtle yet. The Great Guardian doesn't need this kind of attention."

Mireille shivered remembering if it wasn't for Peridot Turtle's intervention she would have lost Tikki and been exposed. "Does Peridot Turtle have something that alerts her if we're in trouble?"

"The Great Guardian keeps watch from afar, but never too far away they can't intervene if they think their fellow Miraculous holders are in danger. Speaking of which, she's trying to call you right now."

"Spots on!" She enjoyed the rush of power as she turned into Ladybeetle. Flipping open her yo-yo she saw Peridot Turtle on the other end. "You said we needed to talk. What is it we need to talk about?"

"Meet me on the top of Notre Dame. I'll be waiting there for you and Chat Noir. Be prepared for some special training." The screen went blank and Ladybeetle hurried out of the room heading to the Eiffel Tower.

When she reached the top of Notre Dame, Chat was already there leaning against his elongated baton. Peridot Turtle was standing nearby occasionally looking around for trouble, but found none. "Hello Ladybeetle. It's nice to see you."

"It's good to be seen. I can't thank you enough for what you did for us with Puppeteer," she said shaking the other girl's hands. Chat Noir did the same which caused the turtle girl to blush. Ladybeetle rolled her eyes, Chat Noir was handsome enough to make a girl swoon.

Collecting herself Peridot Turtle explained why she had brought them up. To help them start on learning to use the gifts associated with them, to help them out in tricky situations. "Your powers cover the creation and destruction aspect. Your own actions inspire hope and optimism. In Chat Noir, showing it's okay to feel what people term negative emotions as long as you take personal responsibility over them. So the only thing you need to learn is to control your luck."

Both of them looked flabbergasted upon hearing that. Both their Kwamiis had said it would take years before they were ready to consciously use that power for themselves. Now their mentor was telling them she could teach them.

"The former Great Guardian taught me the basics. Turtles have to be spiritually aware of any changes in the natural energy around us. It's been very helpful for me as a civilian, doing my best to prevent people from turning into akumas in the first place."

Hearing that inspired the other two. Even if the training only helped them get started, it would be worth it. Peridot Turtle told them to sit down and take a few deep breaths. "We're going to meditate first. To connect with the field of luck, you must first drown out all distractions and calm the storm in your mind. Only with absolute focus can you master this connection."

Chat Noir swore under his breath he heard something like that once before on a YouTube clip. Taking a few deep breaths, he tried to do as he was instructed. He did some deep breathing exercises. He let the sounds of the city drown away. A few more deep breaths, he felt his mind calming down, the turmoil of his life drifting away.

An image of his father looking at him in disappointment. Being locked up in the mansion for years. Nathalie and the dreaded schedule in her hands. Even the Gorilla's stoic manner scaring him. He tried to push past it only to see an image of Marinette lying lifeless on his bed.

He let out a yell and flopped on his back, his concentration broken. Next to him Ladybeetle was having a panic attack as Peridot Turtle helped her calm down and breath. "You're safe, your fine. Nothing can hurt you." At last Ladybeetle was back to normal.

Peridot Turtle turned her attention to Chat Noir. "Are you okay? You screamed."

"I'm fine, I just saw something I didn't like."

Peridot Turtle patted him on the shoulder. "Whatever it was, I hope it doesn't come true." Standing up she looked at the duo. "For a first time, you did well. You both were able to drown out all distractions of the outside world."

Ladybeetle mumbled, "But we couldn't calm the storm in our minds. When I tried, I saw my biggest fear come true. That I would fail and die." She looked away ashamed by admitting it.

"I saw all the things I hate about my personal life, but I was starting to push past it, when I saw someone I love, lifeless," Chat Noir admitted softly.

Peridot drew closer to them and gave the duo a hug. "You both have become accustomed to drowning at worldly distractions because of how many akumas you've fought and the trust you have with one another helps you relax."

She paused for a second thinking about the words she should use. She looked at Ladybeetle, but decided to address Mireille. "I know what has brought about this fear of dying. I know as a civilian you are still struggling with overcoming personal fears and your natural shyness."

Ladybeetle nodded, remembering how Peridot Turtle knew who she really was. She knew her "mentor" was right. "I don't know what to do about it."

"Only you can go through it. Fear is a part of us, you can't beat or avoid it. You just can go through it and become stronger."

Chat Noir looked at Peridot Turtle as walked over to him. "I know your personal life is complicated and that what you saw made you question your value as a hero and human being. You need to start valuing yourself. Only then will the doubts be erased."

The teen model nodded. His doubts had always been holding him back. He need to be stronger if he was going to protect Marinette from other akumas. Heck, if he wanted to stop Hawkmoth he needed to believe in himself. "I'll do better."

"I'm glad. It's getting late, we should all head for home. Practice on your own. I alert you when I want to meet up again. Good luck." The three of them took off in different directions, one wondering if she had done her job as mentor right and two hoping to conquer the storm in their minds.

Almost every night over the next week, the three of them came together on Notre Dame practicing their skills. Each night they did a little better than before only the same problem keep coming up. Neither of them could achieve absolute focus.

Ladybeetle flicked the top of her antennas frustrated. "Why can't I figure this out? I thought talking with my best friend would help, but I'm still afraid that I'll fail and die." Tikki had done her best to cheer her up and keep her positive. There was nothing wrong with a healthy fear of death.

Peridot Turtle sat down next her. She rubbed her jewel for a few minutes then admitted something. "I'm still learning too. I have learned how to pick up and sense a disturbance if I'm close to someone. But I still haven't been able to pick up things far away."

Peridot Turtle's confession helped Ladybeetle realize something. "You're still struggling aren't you? Even after all this time you still have doubts about being the Great Guardian?"

Peridot Turtle looked past Chat Noir and to the rest of Paris. Something about her mannerism changed for a few moments. She seemed to lose her confidence and patience. There was a look of regret on her face, but it lasted only a second. "All you can keep doing is trying. Remember you can move past fear, but it will always remain part of you."

Ladybeetle nodded before admitting she had to split. Her family was going on a day outing just outside Paris tomorrow and she needed plenty of sleep. She waved goodbye leaving Chat Noir and Peridot Turtle on top of the church.

Peridot Turtle watched him for a few minutes before gently shaking him out of it. "You need to get going. You have an early morning shoot tomorrow before having to go to your fencing tournament. Not to mention all your other lessons and you need to finish your homework I bet."

"You sure you aren't a tortoise shell cat underneath that shell? Because you are so warm and furry," he purred at her. She laughed and told him to stop. He looked at her troubled. "It doesn't feel right, you know who I am, but I don't know who you are? When are you going to trust us with that?"

"Very soon, I've made a big break and I'm going to be retrieving the Peacock Miraculous tomorrow night. Once it's safely back where it belongs I'll be ready to talk about my identity. Have a good night."

* * *

Back in her room, Marinette curled under her sheets. She felt guilty beyond belief. Instead of lessons this week Wayzz had been preparing her for retrieving Duusu.

During the training sessions she had managed to "borrow" Chat Noir's baton, to check out all the weak points in the security system he used to slip in and out without notice. She had managed to get the access codes to the system when she copied them to her phone when asking Nathalie if she had any connections that would help her get inventory for the massage/spa.

She had watched the Gorilla's perimeter check schedule and had managed to discover where in the house the control room to all the cameras were. Mr. Agreste was the wild card, but she had learned his habits. Tomorrow night, there would be a forty five minute window to get in and get out without being caught.

 _She was back in the room and for once she welcomed it. Any place was better than the waking world. Her eyes grew big as she saw the claw marks on the door. Scuff marks at the bottom indicated someone had managed to open the door a tiny bit, only to meet with sharp claws and door being swung back and locked into place._

" _What happened here?"_

" _ **He**_ _tried to take advantage of your wavering will to get in here. I clawed that monster with my fancy pedicure and shoved that door back in place," she heard a purr behind her. Sitting on her stain glass window frame was Chat Noire running her claws through her wavy short hair. Her tail swished in slight annoyance. "What has gotten into you? I'm you the second most often, but even I wouldn't have let a moral dilemma shake me so badly._

 _Marinette felt embarrassed and looked at the ground. That's when she saw the difference. On the floor the tiles had been changed. The floor showed the heavens, the earth, and people as the clashed in a fight for survival. "Why did you do this Chat Noire?"_

 _Chat Noire jumped from the sill and landed in a crouch. She pounced on Marinette and made her look closer at the picture. "Destruction isn't pretty, but sometimes it necessary if you are to bring about change and creation."_

 _The cat girl helped Marinette up and beckoned her to the bench. Reaching behind her Chat Noire used her baton to point at pictures of people. "Tell me, have you ever heard the expression doing the wrong thing for the right reasons?"_

" _What? Isn't doing the right thing for all the wrong reasons?"_

" _It can be both. You don't want to steal the Miraculous or break the bond Duusu and her wielder share. You can't justify it in your mind, but let me propose a different question." Her baton tapped a small picture._

 _It showed a little boy stealing bread while the police chased him. On the opposite side of the picture it showed a family starving to death. The boy was divide in the middle, one side going to prison the other bringing the bread to his family._

" _Stealing is against the law, no matter what your circumstances, because stealing hurts someone. Yet the boy isn't stealing for himself, he stealing food for his family to eat and knowing he's not going to get any, even though he's the one who took the risk." Looking Marinette in the eye she asked which punishment was fit._

" _Obviously stealing is wrong, yet it's clear that he's trying to help his family even though he knows it's wrong. Putting him prison leads to death for the family, but if he doesn't go to jail then the baker doesn't get the money to keep his business. It's not a clear cut issue, it's to gray."_

 _Chat Noire snapped her fingers and exclaimed, "Exactly! Whatever choice a person makes, there is always someone who gets hurt whether we know it or not. Taking back Duusu is important for survival and it will hurt someone. You can't avoid it, just like I can't misfortune and destruction."_

 _Marinette looked at her other self, wondering if this version was crazy. Yet as she looked in Chat Noire's eyes she knew what she was conveying. "I'm the one who is going to be hurt the most, I have to live with the destruction I cause. Atoning isn't just for paying for a crime, but to heal a person so they don't self-destruct."_

 _The cat girl nodded and pointed at the door, "The difference between_ _ **him**_ _and you is that you take no pleasure from your actions, that you feel the pain of what you did._ _ **He**_ _doesn't care, in fact_ _**he**_ _gets pleasure and power from it. Don't ever let_ _ **him**_ _inside here again. Promise?"_

" _I promise. Thank you for your advice." Nodding, the cat girl gave her a mischief smile and purr, then jumped back into her window._

* * *

Marinette woke up from her dream and looked at her phone. She had overslept! She quickly put her clothes on and headed downstairs to help with the bakery. Imagine her surprise when the bakery was closed.

"Mama, Papa, where are you?" she called out. She didn't get a reply so she continued to look around for some indication of what was going on. "Mama, Papa, come on out, this isn't funny."

That's when she saw the note on the counter. "Visiting a baker friend of your father's. Won't be back until tomorrow. Take care and remember to finish your homework. Love Mama and Papa."

I guess I'm lucky there gone today. It will make the heist a bit easier knowing that they won't be checking up on me in the middle of the night. Heading upstairs she hoped that Chat Noire was right about that the crime she would be committing tonight, wouldn't bring her any pleasure and that her atonement would prevent self-destruction.

Up in her room, Wayzz was waiting for her. He was hovering over the box containing the sorrow breaker pendulum. Opening it up, she gently picked it up and gazed at feeling its power. "So how can I use this to free Duusu? In the memory; Master Fu had to physically touch the Miraculous while it was active to break the bond between you and Keung."

Wayzz nodded. That was the best way to use it, but since they didn't know who was Duusu's wielder was, they would have to use the second method. "This is where all that special training you've been doing with Adrien and Mireille comes in. You have to have absolute focus to make the bond visible to you. Once you can see it, swing the sorrow breaker as hard as you can, slicing the bond. Once you do that, we'll need to make a quick exit."

"Because whoever her wielder is, will feel the bond being torn. What if what happened with Keung happens to one of the Agreste parents?I don't want to deal with someone who wants revenge for taking a Miraculous from them."

Wayzz assured her it would be like that. Keung was a one-time thing and it was extremely painful for him because he had been wearing Wayzz's Miraculous. Once Duusu was safe she could send some healing energy to her previous user making the pain dull a bit.

"You can do this Marinette. Think of it as practice when you have to take the Butterfly Miraculous from Hawkmoth. You can't hesitate. You took an oath to do whatever it took to retrieve a lost Miraculous. I believe in you Marinette."

I just wish I believed in myself. Even after all this pep talk, Marinette didn't believe she could do something like this. She really didn't want to hurt Adrien's family any more than they already had been. Gripping the pendulum tightly she started preparing for her heist tonight.

Three hours before the time she needed to do the heist she arrived at her stakeout place. She had created her own little lean-to to make herself more comfortable as she waited for her chance.

She took her binoculars to enhance her already incredible eyesight and stated watching the mansion making sure everything was routine. The perimeter patrol was the same. She saw Nathalie leave the mansion for the night and arm the system. She kept an eye out for Mr. Agreste watching his window closely. He was the wild card.

"Come on, how long can you stay up? You have to go to sleep sometime!" she whispered to herself. She checked the screen on the weapon. It was nearly 2:00 am in the morning. Her opening started at 2:20 and ended at 3:05. Every second counted.

Finally, Mr. Agreste went to bed at 2:15. She gave herself ten minutes, hopefully he was a heavy sleeper. Time to get this heist over with. Spinning her meteor hammer she tossed out one end as it wrapped around a lamppost across the street. She swung down and pushed herself off the post curling up tightly as she passed over the iron spikes. They grazed her shell slightly, but it didn't hurt.

Keeping to the edge of the back yard, she eased herself over towards the side of the building where the ivy was. Counting to ten she started to climb up the ivy and hid behind one of the domes. Like clockwork, the Gorilla did another patrol, this time looking up, to see if anyone was on the roof. When he moved on, Peridot Turtle scrambled up towards the third floor.

She found the window near the end of the third story hallway. She knew this window didn't properly lock and the sensor was not working on it. Slowly she opened the window and slipped inside. Now came the tricky part.

She started tiptoeing around the hallway, because she had to avoid tripping the alarms. Peridot Turtle took her time carefully getting through the hall and finally getting to the control room. Using the access code she got in and then used the other codes to shut the system down. She needed to hurry now, she couldn't keep the system down too long or the family would be alerted that someone had entered the room instead of a random power surge.

Peridot Turtle thanked Wayzz for helping her learn to walk fast without tripping over air. At last, she was in front of the painting. Feeling around, she managed to get it to swing open revealing the safe. She needed to use the combination to open it. Taking a deep breath, she started turning the dial knowing deep in her heart what Mr. Agreste would use for the combo. The day before his wife vanished and the world started falling apart.

The safe door opened and she was looking inside the contents. A few pictures, plane ticket to Tibet, a book, and there propped up was the lost Peacock Pin. She had found Duusu!

Checking her clock again, she only had fifteen minutes left to accomplish her mission. She picked up Duusu's Miraculous and started to gain absolute focus. Slowly the tiny strands of the weakened bond appeared to her. Pulling out the pendulum she started swinging it around as it gained power.

She soon had enough to use it. One last twirl and she brought it towards to bond to slash it. At last second she adjusted her swing missing the bond. She watched it dissolved and hung her head down. "I can't. I can't do this. I'm disobeying my oath, but I can't break a bond that might hurt this family even more. Sorry Wayzz," she whispered.

Regrettably she put Duusu back in the safe, closed it up, and headed upstairs to turn the security system back on. After making sure everything looked normal, she exited the mansion and headed home crying at her inability to do what was right.

Peridot Turtle didn't know it, but someone had been watching her from the second floor. A certain black cat had returned from a nightly stroll and had just returned to civilian form when he heard the footsteps that didn't belong to his family. Ducking out of sight, he and Plagg had witnessed the whole thing, even Peridot Turtle admitting she couldn't take that Miraculous back. Watching her leave he wondered what to do.

* * *

Plagg was already flying down the stairs. "Plagg get back here! Plagg, the cameras!" Adrien hissed as he quietly walked down the steps. The cat kwami refused to listen to him. Right before Plagg would cross into the room and ending up caught by the camera, Adrien smacked him to the floor and scurried to a hiding spot just out of range of the camera.

There were the sounds of the Gorilla's footsteps pausing at the door. The teen really hoped he wouldn't get caught. At last the footsteps went in a different direction. "Plagg, what did you think you were ahhhh!" Adrien let out angry hiss as his kwami bit him to release him.

"I'm going to…"

"Quiet! We need to get into that safe and bring the contents back to your room. The Great Guardian wouldn't risk something like this and leave something valuable behind if there wasn't a good reason."

The kwami pointed the camera and then his kitten. "This is your chance to use the skills you've been practicing. You need to make sure that camera doesn't work while I get the safe opened."

Adrien started to protest when Plagg gave him the most serious look he'd ever seen. Heck, his stare was scarier than when he tried to eat a huge tower of cheese in one sitting.

Closing his eyes, he drowned out the entire world. His fears were there. He could see so many people telling him he was weak and worthless. He grunted trying to push past it. That's when a new image appeared in his mind.

Peridot Turtle, his mentor and friend. The girl who had actually chose him for the Black Cat Miraculouses. She hadn't looked very confident, only sad and disappointed in herself. She hadn't wanted to hurt his family. He needed to know what that was about.

He felt something surrounded him, an ever changing energy field, he could make out numbers and different colors. Pictures of people and things. He focused on the picture of the camera in his home. He tapped the picture and felt a spark coming out his finger.

Opening his eyes, the camera's recording light was off and it was tilted out of sight. Plagg was already managed to move the picture a tiny bit. He dove into the safe as Adrien came off. The door opened and Plagg's eyes were wide and in shock. He was holding a peacock pin in his paws, but kept using his tail to point to the book. "Get the book kid quick. We need to get up to your room now!"

Six minutes later they were in Adrien's room, well to be more precise they were in his bathroom. Plagg was very paranoid at this point and didn't want to risk being caught in a room with a camera.

Plagg was clearly agitated and talking to himself. "I can't believe she couldn't do it, to be so close and then call it off, her heart must be really messed up." He laid his paws on the book and was muttering even louder. "No way would she have left this behind if she knew it was here. Wayzz must not have known. Stupid kid, I don't know if I praise her strength of heart or tell her she's crazy."

Adrien dragged the book back towards him. He was sitting on the bench in his shower. Curiously, he opened the book to a random page and was stunned. There were pictures of Kwamiis. Other pictures showed different Miraculous users, and there was a small list written in code on a page. "What is this?"

"Something that's been lost for the better part of four centuries. This is the Miraculous Book. It contains the history of the Miraculous. Information about wielders and Kwamiis. Even secrets that I don't know about," Plagg informed in awe. Plagg looked at the book, touching it to make sure it was there. "This book was stolen centuries from a Great Guardian, forcing them to use other methods to keep track of everything. This belongs to Peridot Turtle."

"Then why didn't she take it? Why break into my house and take a piece of jewelry out of the safe? Why was she swinging that…?" Adrien went quiet as his kwami hovered in front of him, deep in thought. How was he going to answer the kids question without him talking a mile of a minute?

He picked up Duusu's Miraculous. He wished he could wake her up, but she was still dormant. He could feel the weak bond that kept her from accepting a new wielder. His best chance was too dumb it down. "Remember what Peridot Turtle told you and Ladybeetle about her mission priorities?"

He nodded. He recalled their last conversation. No it couldn't be, he would have known if there was another Miraculous in the house wouldn't he? "My parents were Miraculous wielders?"

"At some point if those pictures in your album are accurate. Hard to know who had who considering the pictures show them swapping them. If she was trying to break the bond via the Miraculous then the Great Guardian doesn't know either." Plagg handed the pin to Adrien watching him carefully.

The pin shimmered in his hand and suddenly images appeared in his head in flashes. A person dressed in a peacock costume gender unknown. Then a picture of a kwami, followed by the same kwami terrified eyes as the safe door shut, then one final flash, it was him in wearing the Peacock Miraculous and next to him was Peridot Turtle also dressed up like a Peacock.

Adrien dropped the Miraculous as he started to have difficulty breathing. He couldn't hear Plagg urging him to calm down. His color drained as he realized he'd been fed more lies. What did those flashes mean?!"

Water was splashed in his face, causing him to come out of the panic attack. Surprisingly, the book repelled the water. Once Plagg was sure he was okay, he got the Miraculous again. "Sorry, I forgot that Duusu's abilities leak out sometimes."

Duusu, that's what Peridot Turtle had called the Miraculous, now he understood she was talking about the kwami inside. "You said something about her breaking the bond, what does that mean exactly."

So Plagg explained that Great Guardians had do some extreme things to uphold their oaths, especially if it was retrieving a lost or abused Miraculous, from a bad wielder. He emphasized that the sorrow breaker caused emotional pain and likely this Great Guardian had tried to avoid doing something this extreme. In the end she did come here to take it, but refused.

"This new Great Guardian is a good person and is still learning like you. She probably isn't ready to do perform the more drastic actions of her oath. I think she stopped herself because she knows your family life is difficult and didn't want to make it worse."

Adrien looked at the two items and thought about the situation. It was vital to keep the Miraculous and Book away from evil. The Miraculous Book clearly belonged to the Great Guardian after looking through it. She was probably the only one who could decode it.

As for the Miraculous, it made him warm inside to know his parents had been Miraculous users like him. They had probably faced many dangers and done good deeds. Still, he knew that Duusu was being kept a prisoner here, in the mansion as he had been. It wasn't right.

His mom or father, should have given Duusu back when their adventures ended. From what Plagg and Peridot Turtle said, heck even Ladybeetle mentioned it one time, was that the Kwamiis belong together as a family.

"I'll get you back to your home Duusu. I promise to make sure my family isn't broken apart by this." Hiding the two items he went to bed, promising to figure out something in the morning on how he was going to get the items to Peridot Turtle.

* * *

The next morning Adrien had hidden the two items in his bag carefully, so they wouldn't spill if he accidentally dropped his bag. He was surprised to see his father at the table.

"Good morning Adrien."

"Good morning Father. I'm surprised to see you this morning."

"Even I need to eat son," Gabriel acknowledge his son. They sat together without saying anything as Nathalie went over the schedule. Neither was really listening until she mentioned last night's malfunctioning cameras.

"The security system was tampered with?" Mr. Agreste demanded when she mentioned it.

"I'm not sure. There were no unauthorized entries in the house last night, the control room wasn't tampered with. It just appears that the camera stopped working for a few minutes then turned back on, except one camera that's DVD recording meltdown after it overheated," Nathalie explained.

She pushed her glasses up and stood up straighter. "I contacted the alarm company to come over and take a look. They said that it's possible there was an electrical surge last night and it could have damaged some of the equipment."

"Make sure they remedy the problem and prevent it from happening again. I have no wish for a system that fails do to such a simple and random event." He had a grim look on his face. He got up ready to leave when he paused. "How is your relationship with Ms. Dupain-Cheng proceeding?"

"I wish you didn't compare my relationship with Marinette to a business venture," the teen admitted out loud. He then slapped his hand over his mouth couldn't believe was he just said to his father.

Noting his son's fear Mr. Agreste decided to alleviate if for now. "I apologize, you are right. Relationships are not like business ventures. That was one of the problems I had with your mother early in our relationship."

Adrien blinked his eyes surprised to hear that. "You never talk about yours and mom's relationship."

"Perhaps it's time I did. Your girlfriend Marinette is a lot like her, a tad more serious and driven, but very much like your mother. Your mother, she was very kind and caring, she put the needs of others including myself, above her own." He was lost in his own world for a few minutes before speaking again.

"As enduring as that quality is, I realized it could be draining on your mother, who was not use to putting herself first. I had to show her that she was important too and that whatever burdens she had, we could work through them together."

Adrien realized how similar this was to Peridot Turtle's problem. Plagg had warned him that while Turtles worked best alone, sometimes they needed support to show them they didn't have to be alone.

"Thank you for sharing Father. I need to be going. I don't want to be late for class picture day." His father dismissed him. As his son left for school Gabriel was left to wonder if perhaps he had been keeping his own burdens to himself for too long. Maybe talking with his son more often would help ease his grief of his wife's disappearance.

At school, Marinette didn't look well at all. She was paler than usual and had rings under her eyes. She was swaying a lot not having eaten at all. Her hair was a mess. When you talked to her, she wasn't all there.

"What do you think is wrong with her? She looks like didn't sleep at all last night. She did sleep last night right?" Rose inquired Alya. The other girl shrugged her shoulders not having an answer.

"You don't think my curse jumped to her today do you?" Juleka asked quietly.

"No, Juleka you're not cursed and even if you were, I doubt it would jump to someone else." Alya raised an eyebrow asking about this supposed curse as Juleka explained about her problems with pictures.

"I'm sorry to hear that Juleka," Marinette voice said. The girl had made her way over to them and suddenly collapsed in Alya's arms. "I'm okay, really I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You look really sick. Did you eat anything this morning?"

"I don't know, I was busy feeding Wayzz and he was upset with me for not completing my mission last night," she muttered. Her friends looked one another and came to the same conclusion. Marinette was clearly experiencing delusions.

"I'll take her to the nurse's office. You two get ready for the photo. We don't need all of us missing, from the photo."

Rose went to Ms. Bustier to tell her about Marinette as Juleka brushed her hair and checked her appearance in her hand mirror. She looked nice and she took a deep breath believing in herself. This picture day would be different.

Adrien called out to her and she turned to greet her classmate. Ever since Adrien had joined the class, everyone had started noticing her more. They included her in stuff and she felt like she mattered since she started participating in his father's testing group.

"Hey, Juleka, have you seen Marinette? I wanted to ask her something before our photo was taken."

"Alya took her to the nurse's office. She must have caught a bug or something. She was like a zombie whose brains had been partially eaten." Adrien winced at the description, but accepted his first class photo would not include Marinette in it.

Juleka suggested maybe Alya could take an absence picture of Marinette and later add it in the yearbook so Marinette felt included. That sounded like a good idea. Soon Alya and Rose rejoined their classmates waiting for their photo to be taken.

"Alright, Ms. Bustier's class it's time for your photo. Please line up as you are directed."

"Hold it!" a familiar voice called out. Everyone turned to Chloe, who was wearing her hair in a new style, it was styled in a braided manner so that she looked like a Greek Goddess. "My father hired a _real_ photographer for _my_ class picture. Sergio!"

A well-dressed Spanish man with a tricked out camera appeared. He let out a dismissive sound and flat out said, "This is the best you can do for school photos? It is a good thing Sergio is here to fix this disaster." He snapped his fingers and several assistance appeared out of nowhere.

Vincent was forcefully removed from his spot and his memory card removed so he couldn't take anymore photos. Lights were set up blinding the adults as Sergio deemed them unnecessary for the photo. Student's found themselves being stripped out of their clothes in front of others and forced into new ones.

"Makeup and hair, do your best to make these ugly ones at least decent if you can. You'll need all the help you can get with that giant and depressive Goth girl. Ah Chloe my star. You'll be center stage of course. Where is the special dress we ordered for the star?"

An assistant answered he had it and escorted Chloe to a private tent. A few minutes later Chloe returned looking like the Goddess Hera, complete with a crown. The other students were set up to look like her attendants offering her items for her pleasure.

"Now hold on a minute, you can't just…" Mr. Damocles started to argue when he was slapped with a restraining order and escorted off the property along with Ms. Bustier. The other classes were locked in their rooms by security to make sure they didn't interrupt Sergio's vison.

The rest of the class was humiliated as the photographer took shot after shot glorifying Chloe. He took shots of each class member doing something different things with Chloe. Adrien had to kiss Chloe, Sabrina had to look like she a mortal suffering diving punishment. The worst was Juleka who was forced to hide her face behind a basket of fruit as Chloe took her time to pick something to eat.

Finally the humiliation was over and Sergio informed the school, they had no choice, but to accept the photos for the yearbook, the parents, and he would be using them in his latest gallery collection, even though he didn't have permission from their parents.

His team started to leave, tossing the torn clothing to the class and removing his equipment. He told Vincent that he could go back to taking the ugly people's pictures now. He said he would have to have a huge amount of luck, to make the rest of the classes look as beautiful as the goddess Chloe was.

That's when everything exploded. A column of purple black smoke covered Juleka. The class all took steps back while Sergio's crew looked puzzled by the smoke. When it vanished there stood Reflekta.

"You think that we are ugly, that thing is a goddess? I'll make you all pay for ruining our class photo and continuing my curse!" A beam flashed from her hand mirror and all at once Sergio looked like exactly as she did.

Everyone started running as Reflekta started zapping people one by one. In her need for vengeance, she was unintentionally zapping her classmates. In her classroom, Mireille was looking for a way out of her classroom to transform into Ladybeetle. Chat Noir was already on the scene trying to calm his classmate down, but she wasn't having it.

She zapped him, depriving him of his powers and his Miraculous. She bounced around the school zapping people as she went. A few students managed to avoid being changed. Reflekta kicked open the door to the nurse's office zapping the nurse. She walked over to Marinette and stared at her. She raised her hand to zap her, but stopped.

 _"Why aren't you changing her to your image? I thought you wanted revenge?"_

 _"What is the point Hawkmoth? She's already suffering and it would torture Chloe to know her rival maintained her looks while she is under my spell. Besides, I need to get Ladybeetle's Miraculous."_

 _"Very well, but don't transform her until you have the earrings."_

Reflekta left Marinette alone. A few minutes later Chat Noir checked in on her and let out a sigh of relief. She was safe and it didn't appear she was in any danger. A minute later Ladybeetle landed next to him. "I know you're concerned for the students here, but we need to get going. Even when you look like that, we have a duty to stop the akuma."

"On it! The sooner we crack that girl's reflection, the sooner I look purrfect again."

Marinette slept through the entire attack. She was so out of it she never saw how close she came to being transformed or how hard Wayzz worked to get her energies balanced again. By the time Reflekta was turned into normal, she had managed to finally sit up in the cot. "Ugh what happened?"

"You were sick, as the light and dark inside you, battle one another. Last night's mission pushed you into a situation where your energies couldn't handle the results of your choice. You're fine now," Wayzz assured her.

He filled her in about the akuma attack and how lucky she was that Reflekta had found her a waste of time. Everyone was back to normal and Vincent had agreed to redo the class picture once it was discovered that the memory card from Sergio's camera had been destroyed beyond repair.

"Their even coming to check on you to see if you're up for the picture."

Marinette nodded and exited the nurse's office running into Alya, Rose, and Juleka. "Hi girls. How are you?"

"We're feeling fine, how are you? You were pretty delirious this morning going on about missions and feeding people."

"I'm good, I just had a bug. So did I miss the class picture?" The girls told her what happened, though she already knew, and managed to look very surprised and happy about the new photo.

The whole class save for Chloe, was in the photo. Juleka took center stage in a few of them as they rotated everyone around until they had a good collection of shots. He would submit the class one to the school and got permission from the students to use the rest of the photos to advertise his business. It turned out to be a good day.

* * *

That night, Peridot Turtle waited on top of the school for Chat Noir. He said they had to talk. She was nervous about what he wanted to talk about. She saw him land and saw what he was carrying. She looked away, "I'm so sorry I tried to steal from you. I couldn't do it, even if Duusu was in danger. It was wrong."

"What was wrong was one of my parents keeping her prisoner after they had finished their job. I know what it's like to be a prisoner. I don't want Duusu to feel like that anymore." He gave her the Miraculous and held her hands.

"You don't have to do this alone. I will help you deal with both sides of breaking the bond." Smiling at Chat Noir, she brought out the sorrow breaker and proceed to break the bond. She felt a slight pain in her chest and heard an echo of sadness.

Chat Noir squeezed her tightly telling her she did the right thing. That she needed to focus on making Duusu healthy and happy again. "I'll help you in any way I can. I have something else for you." He gave her the book and told her what his kwami had said.

"I feel something when I hold this. There's a connection between me, the Miraculouses, everything. I have to show this to my kwami. If it's been missing as long as you said, he might be the only one who can read it. Thank you Chat Noir. I won't forget anymore that I can ask for help." The two waved goodbye knowing that together, they were stronger.


	8. Akuma now Demon

**Hello Readers. Did any of you read last chapter's announcement about stop trying to steer the story or make suggestions to how it should be written? Several of you didn't and now I'm adding this note nearly ten hours after publishing. For the last time, THIS IS A STORY ABOUT MARINETTE LEARNING TO BECOME A TURTLE AND THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GREAT GUARDIAN! This story is not about giving everyone you can name in this story a Miraculous, its not about hurting others, or wanting to kill a kwami. Its about an AU when the main girl has completely new script to follow. So please when your read and review, keep that in mind!**

* * *

After Chat Noir had given her Duusu's Miraculous, the girl had set about healing Duusu and purging the Miraculous of any lingering contaminants that would prevent another wielder using it. Come first light, she was up and ready.

Carefully, Marinette held the pin in one hand as she cleaned it with the other. "Are you positive this polish isn't going to damage the Miraculous?" she asked off hand as she focused on making the jewel shine brightly.

Wayzz nodded as he said a lot of wielders took great care of their Miraculous, making them extremely shiny and clean, when they weren't active. It was a very low maintenance and didn't take a whole lot of time. Marinette made a mental note to clean her Miraculous in the near future. Finally, the pin shined like new.

She looked the pin over noting there was no damage to it. It looked perfectly fine. So the next step was to test to see if the bond with the previous owner was gone. Taking a few deep breaths, she ran her hand over the Miraculous, trying to sense if there was anything lingering on the Miraculous itself. Hmm, I sense no attachments to the piece other than a lingering sadness. I think that belongs to Duusu though. She knows that I had to break the bond in order to free her. I hope she isn't too mad at me for doing that.

Wayzz looked over the pin checking himself to make sure Marinette hadn't missed anything. He deemed the Miraculous ready to be used again. Now it was time to start healing Duusu. No doubt, she would be very hungry when she woke up, so they had a bowl of mixed grapes and seeds. Duusu particularly loved water melon seeds.

Just like she had done months before, Marinette used her Miraculous to awaken Duusu from her slumber. A small blue light rose from the Miraculous and there was a gentle pop and for the first time Marinette met Duusu in person. She was a beautiful little kwami. "Hello Duusu, it's nice to meet you."

Duusu let out a yawn and settled down in Marinette's outstretched palm. She snuggled down and giggled a little as Marinette gave her a kiss. Opening her eyes, there were a few tears in them. "You broke the bond," she noted.

Marinette looked away in slight shame. "I tried to avoid it. Whoever your past wielder was refused to return you," she remarked softly, still unsure if Mr. Agreste or his wife, had been Duusu's wielder. She had checked the journals, but apparently Master Fu hadn't update them before he passed.

The little kwami rubbed her head against Marinette's cheek comforting her. "At least you tried. My chick's chick was right though. I was a prisoner in that mansion. I deserved to be free and with my family again. As a healer I'll always wish I could have done more, but even I have to concede defeat."

Wayzz levitated over to her smiling. "At least you are home now. We should really give you a check up to see if you're okay." Duusu nodded and asked if it would be possible to see the others. It had been a long time since she had seen the rest of their little family.

"That can be arranged. I'm sure that Trixx and Pollen would love to see you again. Maybe we can even get you to see Tikki and Plagg in a safe place. I'm sure they miss you, especially after all the trouble Plagg went through to get you to me."

The little peacock kwami laughed never imagining that lazy cat would be the one to get her out of the lap of luxury as he probably called the mansion. She was happy at least one kwami could call that place home again. "I'm ready for my check up!"

"Well this is my first one, so I apologize if I'm not doing it right." Marinette examined each of Duusu's tail feathers making sure they were long and had good color. The little kwami hadn't lost any weight and had a good appetite as she munched on her grapes. Her little paws and feet didn't have anything broken and her three little crown feathers were nice and clean. Her little dot on her head shone brightly.

So physically, Duusu was healthy. She wasn't sure about her energy levels. Wayzz went over to check her energy levels. He kept touching her in different places until Duusu shoved him away. "I'm fine! You know I don't like be touched so much!"

"Yeah, her levels are fine. She's healthy and strong. A few more days of eating good food and some sunlight and Duusu will be at her full strength."

Marinette let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She was so happy that Duusu was okay. She had been so worried something would be wrong and that she wouldn't be able to help the little kwami. So far, it seemed Duusu just needed a healthy dose of sunshine and some quality time with her family.

* * *

Speaking of family, Marinette got the disguised Miraculous Chest and opened it up. Slipping the pin into its slot the teen was very hopeful. Three Miraculouses in the Chest, three with good wielders, only Nooroo was left. Once he was free, she make sure he got enough love before he and Wayzz, went to sleep for a healthy rest. No exceptions, Wayzz was getting the proper health care he needed.

Behind her Duusu was smiling happily in anticipation while Wayzz was anxious. In a few seconds Trixx and Pollen woke up, and upon seeing Duusu the two Kwamiis started hugging her tightly and laughing. Trixx grabbed Wayzz and dragged him into the family hug. Making a mental note to take Duusu with her to her next meeting with Chat Noir and Ladybeetle, Marinette watched the happy reunion.

"Duusu! It's so great to see you again! You wouldn't believe how much I've missed you," Trixx howled.

"Not so loud Trixx, we don't want to have the Guardian's parents come up here and find a party going on," Pollen cautioned, but she couldn't stop buzzing happily.

"It is so good to see you all again! I tried so many times to reach you through dreams, but I just couldn't." Duusu looked around the room enjoying all the pink and light. This place felt alive. "We have such a cute Great Guardian! It's been awhile since we had a girl."

"Tell me about it, Master Fu was a wonderful Guardian, but I missed having a girl to spend time with. Hey Marinette, do you think we can spend a little time outside our Miraculous while Duusu's recovering?" Trixx begged.

"It would be nice to feel the sun on my fuzz and breath fresh air for a little bit."

"Hold on a second! You two need to go back to your Miraculous. You know the rules, unless we are needed we need to stay in our Miraculouses resting."

"Actually," Marinette started to say hesitantly before stopping. She could feel through her bond Wayzz was worried about attracting too much attention with all four active Kwamiis in one place, but according the journals past Great Guardians had given the Kwamiis a few weeks of fresh air when they were all together, a chance to stretch their legs so to speak. "A nice little vacation isn't going to hurt anything."

"It would be nice to have friends to help me recover. Maybe we can help find Nooroo!" Duusu suggested. Her tail feathers fanned out in delight at that thought.

"Yeah, we could find wielders! No offense Marinette, you've improved a lot as a Great Guardian, but I'm itching for some pranking." The tiny fox was rubbing her hands together and licking her lips in anticipation of some fun.

Pollen shook her head. "Only you Trixx, would consider pranking more important, than doing our duties."

Marinette asked everyone to calm down. She comprised saying the little Kwamiis could all take a two week break from their Miraculouses with her as long as they either stayed in the room or didn't stray from her balcony. If things started to get more complicated with Hawkmoth, she would be begin searching for wielders for the three of them, but warned them it might be awhile. Right now, Chat Noir and Ladybeetle were having trouble just adjusting to having one new Miraculous user around.

"Now before you three head off to sun yourselves on my balcony, we need to talk, especially you Duusu," Wayzz interjected. He floated down to the desk and with great effort brought up the Miraculous Book to the bed. The others gasped upon seeing it. "This was in the safe with you Duusu. Do you know how it got there?"

She shook her little head. She had never astral projected into the safe itself; only other parts of the mansion. She didn't know how that Book ended up in the safe. She was grateful though that for once in his life Plagg used his brains to make sure it went where it belonged.

Each of the Kwamiis stared at the Book, not believing that it was actually there after missing for four centuries. Marinette trembled as she opened the Book and looked at the pages. The pages were very old and brittle and yet they didn't crumble under her touch. There wasn't a nick, a stain, or even a torn page. This book had to have a lot of magic to be perfectly preserved after so many millenniums.

There were pages filled with history, secrets that had been lost for ages. There were accounts of battles, other magical objects and beings. Spells and healing potions. Information that even the Kwamiis didn't know about themselves. "Past threats, hidden abilities, and rare phenomenon. This Book is actually recording events as they happen! I just started keeping track of everything in those journals and now the Miraculous Book is doing it for me."

"Better keep writing in those journals as a backup. You never know when they might come in handy," Duusu advised. Her past wielders had always kept a journal for writing down visions or keeping track of who they healed.

Marinette was confused. Last night when she skimmed the Book, it had been in a code she couldn't read. Now the words were plain as day to her as if they had never been in code at all. She looked at her wrist questioningly. Was it because of her Miraculous?

"I sense what you're thinking and no it's not because you have a Miraculous." Wayzz settled on the cat pillow with the others who looked at their Great Guardian with awe in their eyes. "The Book responds to your soul. Only a person with soul of pure goodness, could unlock the code in that Book."

Marinette flushed and protested. Adrien obviously had a good soul so why hadn't he been able to read the Book? Trixx jumped in saying the Miraculous Book only revealed itself to a pure soul the Book _itself_ choose. In a way, the Book was a living being, deciding who could read it and who wouldn't.

Flipping through the pages, Marinette stopped on one where the writing remained coded. The illuminations on the side showed the universe, souls, and stars. There was title above a list and short paragraph underneath. "It's coded, I can't read it."

"The Book is telling you that it isn't time yet to know that secret. You may have to figure it out on your own," Pollen informed her. "The Miraculous Book is a mysterious as our items and Chest. Very few Great Guardian could ever read the whole Book. One day all its secrets could be revealed to you."

* * *

Back at the Agreste mansion, Adrien had been slightly surprised to see his father walking around anxiously. No doubt he had checked the safe after Nathalie had the system updated, only to find the Miraculous and Book gone. He hated seeing his father like this. Was this the result of a bond breaking or was his father simply coming apart because he didn't have a reminder of his past anymore?

"Father are you alright?" Adrien asked as he entered the room. His father stopped pacing and looked at him. Gabriel's professional mask fell into place, but the anxiety didn't leave his eyes.

"Of course I'm alright Adrien, why would you even ask such a thing?"

"You just seem, a bit anxious today is all. I'm sorry if I upset you." His father stood there staring at him uncomfortably for a few minutes. The teen started to leave to get away from the situation when his father spoke.

"Adrien, did you remove anything from the safe the other night?"

All that practicing with Plagg about lying without giving a tell paid off. He turned his head back towards his father. "Safe? What safe would that be?"

"I have a safe behind your mother's portrait. I was keeping a few items in there and now two of them appear to be missing."

"There's a safe behind Mom's painting? I didn't know that. What's missing exactly?"

Mr. Agreste shook his head telling his son it wasn't important. Again, the man stared at his son as if trying to figure out if the boy was lying. Adrien was good at faking things, like smiles for photos. He then dismissed the thought. Adrien was a bit bolder, but he wouldn't lie to him. It simply wasn't in the boy's nature.

"I will be working late today, but I will be joining you for dinner tomorrow. Perhaps we can talk more then." His son nodded and smile appeared on Adrien's face, happy at the thought of them having a meal together. Mr. Agreste left the room as Adrien headed to school. Hopefully today would be a good day and no akuma would show up.

Luckily his wish came true and not a single sign of evil happened that day. In fact, the day was so perfect, he thought he could squeeze in a short walk with Marinette before he had to leave for a doctor's appointment. There had been some concern about his health and his father didn't want the media getting the wrong idea.

"Adrikins!" Chloe's voice rang across the courtyard. Her steps were now more distinct since she had switched to wearing those boots. Chloe's hair had not gone back to its normal style, instead it was braided with real jewels piled on her head, in way that made her look like an ancient queen.

"Hello Chloe, is there something I can help you with?" he asked with a just the barest hint of annoyance in his voice.

"Yes, as a matter fact, you can. You might have noticed over the last few months I've been trying to create a new signature look. I mean look at this photos from earlier this year," she wrapped her arms around him forcing him to look at her phone. There she was at the start of the school year wearing her old look.

"Now look at me. I admit I wasn't sure about the Musk Ox jacket at first, but oh when you find just the right fit you'll love it. I got these boots for a score from Australia fashions. Who knew culling so many poisonous species of reptiles would make such great shoes," She blabbed on about it. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Marinette and Sabrina coming over and started talking even louder. "You can hardly tell by looking at them. Once I get home, you can help me choose which exotic animal skin, furs, and feathers, I should add into my new signature me collection."

Twisting around, she forced Adrien to look at Marinette and Sabrina as she continued her little conversation. "Oh I didn't see you there Marinette. Hello Sabrina, did Marinette make that unfashionable outfit for you? Didn't I tell you before how unfashionable and unflattering her clothes are?"

Sabrina shrank down a little bit her confidence a bit broken. Chloe wasn't done yet as she tried to get a rise out of Marinette. "I doubt anyone would wear your collections because of their bargain based materials," she teased as she wrapped her arm around Adrien's tighter. "In fact, Adrien here was going to tell me which animals are the best to use for clothing."

Marinette didn't rise to the bait. She knew Chloe was trying to get her to blow her top. Her heart was raging seeing Adrien held prisoner by Chloe, but that wasn't the cruelest thing the girl was doing. No, she was trying to make someone else hurt even more. Chloe's ex best friend was on the verge of a breakdown.

In class earlier today, Sabrina had mentioned that her doctors thought that getting a therapy pet would greatly reduce the teen's stress level. In class, she had shown the girls' pictures of her new calico kitten Diamond she gotten from the shelter. In fact, Sabrina had liked playing with the animals there so much, she was going to start volunteering there. They had all congratulated her for finding a hobby she liked.

"Go ahead, why don't you admit that you make clothes out of animal parts. Oh, I heard that you even eat dog tongue. How disgustingly perfect for you. Have you shared any with your friends yet? I'm sure Sabrina found it very tasty."

Adrien twisted free and glared at Chloe. How callous could a person get? "You won't be finding animal furs in my Father's collections. He's going fashionable green and finding other ways to get fabrics without hurting animals."

"Really? That's a shame because all natural is the way to go. Sure you won't come with me Adrikins?"

"I have to go to a doctor's appointment. Maybe another time." The teen model hurried towards his limo. Once he was gone, a saddened Marinette walked across to the street to her home. Sabrina cried for a little bit before going to her bike and heading home upset. Chloe had ruined another perfect moment for her classmates.

* * *

Chloe's limo driver arrived and opened the door for her. "To the Le Grand Paris Ms. Bourgeois?" the driver asked her politely. He was praying today would be a _normal_ day. Driving the Mayor's daughter had become a very difficult job these last few years.

"No, take me to this address and wait for me in the car. When I return, you will take me home and bring my packages to my room. You won't mention this trip to my father understood?" Her eyes narrowed into the back of the driver's seat.

"Ma'am are you sure you want to go…"

"If you don't want my father to learn about your daughter's _special_ operation, you won't say a word," she hissed, her eyes darkening for a second. The driver didn't protest after that and took her to a part of the city that no one of her status would be caught in if they didn't want rumors spread.

This area was known for its vices and it if you wanted something illegal you could get it here. Lots of different characters walked through this part of Paris, including those who were experts in the "mystic arts." The driver was understandably nervous as he was forced to stay in the limo as his passenger went into a shop marked, "Stolen Beauty."

The store sold beauty products alright. Many of them you could find at other more reputable stores, but here you could also find the old fashion methods of beauty, not proven by science. Items that were not exactly what the government might approve of if they looked at the ingredients close enough. All the other customers backed away as Chloe made her way to the counter.

The guy at the counter shivered as the Mayor's daughter demanded her order. Since the girl started coming here by herself almost two years ago, it had become crystal clear you didn't mess with her. Believe it or not, it wasn't because of her Dad. She had proven that she was capable of taking care of herself and a very dangerous person to cross, a long time ago and now everyone whispered about the Demon Girl. "Ms. Bourgeois, I wasn't expecting you today."

She gave him a tiny little smile making the man shiver. "Plans change Jerome. I'm here for my order. You better have kept your promise this time. I would hate to have this place raided or _flooded,"_ the girl said in polite tone as she examined her nails. She clicked them against the counter top once. The counter started to get wet. "Now get my order!"

"Right! Ms. Bourgeois! I'll be right back." The man scurried away and came back to the front carrying a large box marked GB Beauty Lotion. Snatching the box, Chloe shoved a credit card at him, one that didn't belong to her. "Charge it to the card and I'll make sure it doesn't get traced back to you." The man nodded and finished the transaction. Everyone gave her a wide berth as she left.

Getting back to the hotel she got out of the car, an expression of superiority and sinister on her face. She walked to the door to greet the doorman. "Hello Ms. Bourgeois, how are you doing this fine day?" the doorman asked her. Of all the employees at the hotel, he was the only one who truly _liked_ her. He opened the door as the driver carried the heavy box to the elevator.

"Fabulous as always. No uninvited guests today?" The doorman promised no one unworthy had entered the hotel. "Good, keep doing your job and I'll get you that nice boat you've been looking at." Placing a firm hand on his shoulder, the man slumped for a few seconds before he returned to normal.

Entering the hallway to her room she was greeted by the maid. The lady bowed to her and seemed a bit uneasy. "Mrs. Bourgeois; your new shipment of clothing has arrived. What do you wish us to do with the old clothes?"

"The same thing I always want you to do! Make them look brand new for my inspection! If I found out that you tore another jacket lining or scraped a bit of color off my shoes, you'll be out of job, no out of this country, before you can say your name!" She stomped on the poor lady's foot so she had to hobble away.

She dismissed her butler and told him she didn't want to be disturbed for anything unless it was her father. He nodded as she pushed him out of her room. The man bent over due to a momentary bout of dizziness before leaving the hallway.

Sadly, the staff had grown use to this behavior over the last few years. They had given up on asking Mr. Bourgeois to have a word with his daughter about her treatment of the staff. He never listened to them believing his daughter could do no wrong. They took the abuse if it meant keeping their jobs and supporting their families.

Once Chloe was left alone she locked her door and windows. She turned on her camera system aiming them at the front desk looking for targets. "Hmm, no no, ugh not her. Ah yes! I can see the dollar signs already," Chloe laughed as she laid out on the couch sipping her fruity drink.

The camera's zoomed in on a local actress, who would be staying at the hotel for a few days, while her home was fumigated. She was carrying a fashionable bag, but that wasn't what Chloe was eyeing. It was the woman's expensive credit card that she was using to pay for her visit. If she had one, she had many. "This might actually prove a challenge for me." She had been stealing credit cards for a few years now and had yet to be caught. She watched a bit longer selecting targets and marking down their room numbers. "A child's game, but necessary in the long run," she told herself. In her mind Chloe heard a chuckle. Standing up Chloe went into her bedroom/bath area and muttered something under her breath.

A soft ping was heard, as if something was being pulled up, keeping people from crossing into this side of the room. Something rippled in the air next to her before coming to rest on the sofa. The blond girl smiled as she leaned up against her pillows. With a flick of her fingers, all her makeup came flying off the dresser and started giving her a fresh look.

Smirking Chloe blinked and a bottle of GB Beauty Lotion appeared in her hands. Dismissing the makeup, she started spreading the lotion all over her body, especially the back of her neck and hands. "I've found three new chumps for us to steal from. Honestly, it's too easy now to get the credit cards now that all I have to do is summon them. I can even steal their valuables and replace them with knock offs. I almost feel sorry for the poor fools, not!"

 _ **"You shouldn't feel anything for them. After all you're just following in daddy's footsteps. Taking a loser's money and using it for a better cause."**_ A deep male voice with a hint of growl told her. Instead of being scared of the voice, Chloe smiled and sent a kiss its way. After all she had known _**his**_ voice for some time now. It was **_him_** who had taught her the skills she had just demonstrated.

"Money that will soon help us achieve what we've been dreaming about for years. I can't wait until we're done. No more stealing credit cards so Daddy doesn't figure out how I afford all the "exotic" make up and clothes. Finally, I won't need to use lotions mixed with young girls' blood to hide my true self. No more pretending that I'm talking to myself!" She laughed loudly as she leaned back enjoying her feather pillows.

 _ **"Yes that is something to look forward too. You've come a long way my young star since we've been together. I still remember when you started slowly draining the health of that foolish redhead for me. All the magic, power, and control will be ours. All we need is a few more akumas dark energy and then we'll be able to do the ritual. I'm counting on you."**_

"Believe me, I have a list a mile long of how to create victims for Hawkmoth. Once the guy figures out how to make more than one akuma, then we'll have all we need." Chloe cooed as the invisible figure did as well.

 _ **"A pity that we can't force him directly to make all the akumas we need. That fool will be the first to die once we perform the ritual."**_

"I don't care who dies first. All I want, what we both want, is to make Marinette Dupain-Cheng suffer, before we snuff the life out of her." The invisible figure agreed as the two beings relaxed together.

* * *

Two nights later everyone was sleeping soundly in Marinette's bedroom. Earlier that day, the teen had taken all the Kwamiis with her to school, after extracting promises from each of them they would behave and not make a fuss, when they reunited with Tikki and Plagg during lunch hour. It must have been some reunion based on how happy everyone had been when she got home. They were all swapping stories and enjoying their favorite foods. Even Wayzz, had let his guard down, and joined his fellow Kwamiis in sunning themselves up on the balcony.

Now everyone was happily asleep. As usual Wayzz was in his terrarium. Trixx had gone to sleep on the chaise and Pollen had found a comfortable spot in the craft chest. Duusu was sleeping in a corner of Marinette's bed contently. Even Marinette was sleeping peacefully, no weird dreams with other versions of herself. Just a nice dream about Adrien being there when she reopened the massage/spa.

The silence of the night was broken when Duusu started to squawk and yell in her sleep. Her little red dot was glowing as she thrashed about. The others instantly woke up and Marinette scooped up the little bird. "Duusu, Duusu, you have to be quiet! Duusu, wake up, you're having a nightmare!"

"She's not having a nightmare, she's about to have a vision!" Pollen buzzed anxiously. She had seen Duusu like this before, but each time it happened was scarier than the last. "It must be a big one if her dot is glowing that much."

"Anyone got a pencil and paper?" Wayzz asked. He looked around frantically trying to spot the items.

"That's not going to cut it this time! Not with something as big as this," Trixx warned as Duusu started thrashing around trying to hurt herself. The fox kwami looked at the turtle with a serious look on her face. To her there was only one way for Duusu to be free of the vision.

Wayzz nodded as Trixx dove into the disguised chest and popped it open holding Duusu's Miraculous. Pollen was already instructing Marinette to get up on the balcony and under the moonlight. The Kwamiis hurried up there as Marinette tried to keep Duusu from falling out of her hand. The little kwami looked to be in a great amount of pain.

"You need to put Duusu's Miraculous on. Don't activate it, just put it on and press Duusu against it. Whatever she's seeing you will too. We'll record it and figure it out what it means."

"I won't spontaneously combust?" Marinette asked anxiously. She remembered Plagg's warning quite clearly.

"No, but please hurry, Duusu needs to get that vision out of her before she gets sick," Trixx pleaded.

Marinette did as she was told putting the pin on her pajama top and pressing Duusu against the Miraculous. It started to glow blue and sparkle under the moonlight. Just like Adrien, she started to have flashes of images and unknowingly spoke out loud. The voice was a mix of Marinette's, Duusu's, and another female, that couldn't be identified.

 _"I foresee the return of ancient enemy herald by another Miraculous's evil that secretly is empowering the hidden mage. The seals are slowly breaking as our ancient foe, twists the cosmos in its favor. The enemy who uses a fourth piece to return to its former glory stronger than ever. The city of Paris shall be caught in a storm of fire and water should_ _ **he**_ _be revived._

 _The past, present, and future combine together reveals the truth of hidden secrets that shall destroy the symbol of hope in the city. Lights extinguished, blood in the streets, and darkness rips the city apart from the whole. Valiant warriors fight yet nothing can stop the path of revenge and the greed for power._

 _The despair of failure shall be the fork in the lane to decide this city's fate. The two who watch the_ _One_ _will either inspire or dissuade the treasure's resolve. If the_ _One_ _falls to_ _ **him**_ _, an era of evil and death will be the future for all. If the treasure unlocks the soul inside hope will be restored._

 _The_ _One_ _shall become the seven pointed star. The thread of love shall create the_ _Two_ _who will become the fourteen pointed star. Through love and sorrow, shall the child be saved and_ _ **he**_ _will no longer exist. A future for all, as a new life begins while the journey continues for everyone else."_

The Kwamiis gasped as pictures became visible to them. There was a picture once more of the same collar, two figures one demonic looking and the other human, two seven pointed stars flashing in sequence, and the last image was of a young couple holding hands together.

Duusu stopped struggling and fell to the ground exhausted. Her Miraculous clattered to the ground as Marinette slumped over. Pollen and Trixx flew to check on Duusu and offering her food to regain her strength.

Wayzz kept pulling at Marinette's hair trying to wake her up. "Please wake up. You need to get up. Please wake up Marinette, I need you." The girl stirred and slowly pushed herself off the ground. "What, what happened? Wayzz, is Duusu okay?"

"She's exhausted, but fine. Duusu powers nearly overwhelmed you. I'm actually surprised you are conscious and recognize me. Most non-Peacocks, even the strongest Great Guardians, don't recover this quickly after being used as a medium to issue an important vision." Wayzz looked at her in awe. Marinette kept surprising him. Even after all this time and training, he couldn't believe she handled Duusu's ability with no harm to herself. He remembered what Master Fu had hinted about in his dream. Was Marinette a _One?_ No, the chances of her being such a person were astronomical improbable.

"We need to get back in my room to talk about what just happened. Duusu, do you need me to carry you?" The little kwami shook her head. She floated down into the bedroom. After checking to make sure her parents didn't hear anything Marinette cautiously made her way across her room.

Carefully, she slid the vanity away from the wall. Behind the mirror the wall looked the same as the others, but Marinette had discovered a secret about this attic room years ago, that she didn't share with anyone, not even her parents. There was a thin discrepancy in the wall paper. Pressing on it a hidden wall panel opened it up.

Long ago, in many French homes, secrets panels in certain rooms had been used to hide forbidden items. Love letters, trinkets, maybe something for a superstitious reason. Whatever the reason, this little cabinet existed in her room. She had hidden the stuff she got from Master Fu's room in a locked drawer in the vanity. The Miraculous Book was too important to be lying around so she had put it there after reading it the first time.

Now she pulled it out and checked to make sure there wasn't any scuff marks on the floor to indicate the vanity had been moved. She carried the Book up to her bed where the Kwamiis waited for her anxiously.

"Alright, Duusu, what happened? I know you get visions, but what I saw and said didn't feel like a premonition or a vision of the past."

"It wasn't, it was a prophecy!" Duusu explained. A prophecy was different than a vision or premonition. A vision showed you either glimpses of the past or something happening in the present. Premonitions were glimpses of the future, but a prophecy was the foretelling of something that would definitely happen in the future.

The others gasped and looked worried at one another. They had been hoping that Duusu wouldn't confirm their worst fears. The Miraculous Book chose that moment to act. It glowed blue as the Book opened to a series of pages. As they looked on it magically started writing down a copy of the prophecy before returning to normal. Marinette read over the prophecy, her eyebrows scrunching as she read the details. "Do you know what any of this means Duusu? You're the one who issued it."

"Prophecies don't work like that. When the universe itself senses a huge event that can change the course of many lives, perhaps even the world, the cosmos send a warning to those involved. I have the power of foresight, but the cosmos see things in such a different manner, the message ends up being riddles in my mind or images of things connected to the event," she explained as her three head feathers fell flat.

"So it's a hint to what is coming, but there's no way to accurately foretell what the event is, just do your best to prepare for it?" Trixx asked. Duusu nodded and explained that she didn't know the exact time the prophecy would unfold, but she sensed this one would be happening in the near future.

"I have been dreaming for a long time about the collar you saw and seven pointed stars over and over again. Seven pointed stars are the symbol of the universe in classic symbology."

"Yes, but how does that connect with the collar Marinette keeps seeing when she's near you?" Pollen inquired curiously. Her fuzz started to stiffen up due to her emotions.

"I don't know, but we're not going to figure it out tonight. We're all going to get some sleep and start fresh tomorrow. We'll set up a meeting with Chat Noir and Ladybeetle to talk about this," Wayzz informed the group. They all nodded and as soon as the Book was safely away, they all curled up under the covers and went to bed.

* * *

In the morning, she looked over the prophecy in the Book going over the words again. The line about the ancient enemy returning and the seal breaking could only mean one thing. " _ **He's**_ coming back isn't he? The part about the enemy and seals breaking have to be about what happened in that memory right?"

Wayzz nodded, "Most likely, but you said in the dreams you've been having, the other versions of yourself said that _**he**_ from the memory stones was not the same _**he**_ that you were encountering in your dreams. So what does that mean?"

"Maybe it has to do with something this line apart of a fourth piece," Pollen pointed out. "I recall that battle vividly. Three is a powerful number. When _**he**_ was divided up, the body, heart, and soul were scattered as far apart as possible. Though separated _**he**_ could have found something that would help him become one again, maybe this fourth piece?"

"Who cares, we should be getting ready to survive another battle. Get prepared for danger," Trixx yipped. The other Kwamiis agreed that was as important as trying to figure out what the entire prophecy meant. Wayzz was worried that the Miraculous mentioned was Nooroo's, unknowingly letting his powers help in freeing their ancient enemy.

"We need to talk with Chat Noir and Ladybeetle today. Whatever this is, I can't do it alone," Marinette whispered. For once, Wayzz agreed. The female Kwamiis stayed in the room going over the prophecy in an attempt to figure it out. Marinette was not looking forward to today.

Both Ms. Bustier and Ms. Mendeleiev class had been assigned to spend the day working at the Le Grande Paris in order to understand what it was like to have important job and depending on your coworkers for success. The class knew Chloe had informed her father beforehand about what jobs would be suitable for each person. Marinette stood in line with the rest of the class as Mr. Bourgeois welcomed them all to his hotel. "I'm sure all of you will learn a great deal about running a big business like a hotel and how to be good little employees. I must ask you all to be on you best behavior, we have a very important guests here right now. So here are your work assignments for the day."

When Marinette got hers, being a gopher for a guest, she didn't see it being a problem. She heard Mireille muttered to Aurora that she had been assigned laundry duty, which her best friend told her sounded better than having to clean the pool. Of course Adrien got the job at working the front desk.

As soon as Marinette was free to go search for sunglasses representing Paris, she quickly found a place to hide and transform. It was a risk being seen out in the open during the day with no Akuma active, but this couldn't wait until tonight. She pressed the call button on her weapon. ten minutes later, she saw both heroes on video chat.

"Peridot Turtle is something the matter?" Chat Noir asked.

"I haven't gotten an alert about any Akumas in the city right now," Ladybeetle added.

"Trust me, what I have to tell you is bigger than any Akuma. I know what day this is for school, but we need to talk now. Can you two meet me on this roof for a fifteen minute talk?" The duo nodded and they managed to slip away Soon the duo arrived looking at an anxious Peridot Turtle. She was pacing nervously and had two pieces of paper in her hand. "Hey PT, what's cracking your shell this morning?"

"Not now Chat. I don't know about you, but I have to get back to where I was before my teacher figures out I didn't make a run to pick up more laundry soap."

"You guys said I didn't have to carry my burdens alone remember? Well, this is me reaching out. Chat told you I got Duusu and her Miraculous back right?" Peridot Turtle asked. Ladybeetle nodded and remembered how happy Tikki had been the night before after visiting her friend.

"Duusu's special ability is foresight, she can get glimpses of the future. Last night, she woke up and issued a prophecy," Peridot Turtle explained to duo who couldn't believe such a thing was possible.

They each took a copy of the prophecy as their mentor explained what she knew and what Duusu thought it meant. She didn't mention anything about Trixx and Pollen not wanting to distract them from the main issued. Both the cat and the bug looked a little green after she told them a very cliff note and edited version about _**him.**_

"So, this creature, was defeated a hundred and sixty years ago, might be on the verge of reemergence?" Ladybeetle said in a small meek voice. Akumas, she could handle that. A demon? That was pushing it.

"Are you pawsitive this evil isn't talking about Hawkmoth? I mean he's the one misusing his Miraculous. He's hidden and obviously has magic. He's got the fourth active Miraculous."

Peridot Turtle was adamant when she told him that Hawkmoth's part in this prophecy was being an unwilling pawn for somebody. The mention of seals clearly meant the ones that had been used on _**him.**_ "I'm going to keep searching the Miraculous Book for an answer, but I at least wanted to alert you to the trouble that's coming. The sooner we can get defeat Hawkmoth the safer we'll all be." As soon as those words were spoken, they all heard the tell-tale yelling of an Akuma. "You two handled that and…"

"You go see if you can find Hawkmoth. Maybe you'll be able to sense him now that you have the Book," Ladybeetle suggested. The turtle girl nodded and headed off in the opposite direction as the duo headed to the hotel to see what had happened in their absence.

* * *

Peridot Turtle bounced around trying to sense where the Butterfly Miraculous was. Even after all this time and training, even practicing with the other Kwamiis, she couldn't figure out where Hawkmoth was hiding.

"I can't give up, Nooroo needs me now. If that prophecy comes true, I don't know if I'm strong enough to take on a demon by myself," she told herself. She paused on a rooftop, debating if she should head to her house and take a look in the Book, to see if there was a way to track a hidden Miraculous when she saw something.

Some kind of shimmering purple energy tinged in black was floating in the air leaving a vapor trail behind it. It twisted and sparkled as it weaved itself around buildings. Suddenly it split into two different streams, she guessed that was the best comparison. A massive amount of it seemed to go in a different direction and the thinner one traveled down to the streets. It appeared no one else could see this but her.

She opened up the screen on the ball of her weapon raising it so it could get a good look on the strange energy. Turning on the map feature, she watched as the flow of energy seemed to be heading in the direction of where they heard the screams earlier.

"I wonder…" she whispered before backtracking a couple blocks. As she got closer she could hear the sound of people screaming, a large click and the hiss of a beam. The screen changed showing her the latest battle that Alya was filming. A guy dressed up like a cyborg kept zapping people and they disappeared.

When he shot at the two heroes Chat Noir's left leg and Ladybeetle's right hand became digitized. Neither of them appeared to notice that the purple and black energy that formed an aura around the villain who called himself Pixilater

Oh my God, the energy stream must be the link between Hawkmoth and the Akuma. It's a literal manifestation of the bond between the Butterfly Miraculous and the Akumatized victim. I can find Hawkmoth by following the vapor trail! Excited, she started running as fast as she could, using the meteor hammer to cover long distances. The vapor trail was easy to follow. She had just reached the place where she started, when Peridot Turtle stopped in her tracks.

The second trail seemed to be even bigger than before. It was also darker in color. "Why is there a second trail, if Hawkmoth can't create more than one Akuma at a time? Wait, hidden mage, twist the cosmos? What if that second trail has to do with the prophecy! I have to follow it!"

Abandoning the search for Hawkmoth for the moment, Peridot Turtle tracked the massive amount of negative energy, keeping a sharp eye out for any signs of danger. Her heart was pounding wondering what she would find at the end of the trail.

Abruptly, Peridot Turtle came to a stop and his behind a roof access door. Peeking out from behind the door, she saw an individual wearing a brown cloak sitting outside at a table of an outdoor café. No one seemed to notice this individual passing right by them without saying a word, not even a waitress who bumped the table.

The negative energy was being pulled towards a clear bottle filled with some kind of blue liquid. The individual was moving their hands in an intricate manner directly manipulating the energy. The liquid changed to indigo and started to shine with a radiance.

"That almost looks like a spell is taking place. Is that the hidden mage?" Peridot Turtle wondered. The energy flow stopped. She looked up and saw that the vapor trail was no more. She softly cursed, knowing she missed her chance to find Hawkmoth.

The individual stood up and drank from the bottle. A bright aura in a strange animalistic shape flared around the individual. Peridot Turtle was pushed back by the surge of power. The individual pocketed the bottle and left the café. Peridot Turtle followed the person, intent on identifying the individual.

The individual suddenly stopped and spun around spotting the Great Guardian following them. The cloaked person made a fist before punching out. Peridot Turtle fell from the building landing hard on the street, the shell absorbing most of the impact. She felt as if someone had punched her right in the cut. Struggling to get up, the individual started to kick and shove the air. Again, the sensations happened to the Great Guardian, who felt like she was being beat up. The person threw back their head and PT's noggin hit a brick wall knocking her out.

An unseen force picked up the downed Guardian and flung her into a now opened storm drain. Satisfied for now, the individual whispered some words and teleported away leaving the Great Guardian floating in the water unconscious.

The young Great Guardian floated down the weak current heading deeper and deeper into the sewers. A few times she slipped under the water before bobbing back up to the surface a trickle of blood coming from small gash in her scalp. The current got stronger pulling her towards the sewage treatment center. Her body bumped against all sorts of garbage in the water and yet she still didn't wake up. The current was starting to form a whirlpool ahead of her. If she went down there, she would die.

Right before she could be pulled into the drink, a human sized black cat jumped in the water, actually used his teeth to bite the back of her shell and swim them back to the walkway before sputtering and shaking all over. Chat Noir went over to Peridot Turtle and checked her for a pulse and the sound of any water in her lungs. She had faint pulse and no water in her lungs. "Wake up, wake up please. Peridot Turtle please wake up!"

"I'm up, I'm up, stop shouting your hurting my ears," she said pushing him away with her hands. She winced as she touched the back of the scalp and wincing at the sight of the blood on her fingers. "Oh boy, I hope this doesn't get infected." She stood up slowly getting her bearings. She checked the clock on her weapon.

"If I don't get back to where I'm supposed to be I'm going to get an F for today's class assignment. Thanks for the rescue Chat Noir." She moved to leave, but he grabbed her wrist tightly.

"What happened? After we defeated Pixalater, I came searching for you when you didn't respond. Did you find a clue to where Hawkmoth is? Did he hurt you and is that how you ended up in the sewers?"

Peridot Turtle removed his hand and reminded Chat Noir that if he didn't get back to where he was supposed to be, he might lose more than a few privileges. The look in her eyes told him not to push it. He left her as she hurried another way to get back where she was supposed to go.

Adrien returned to the main reception area just in time as Ms. Bustier came check on him and Chloe. "It's nice to see you alright Adrien. I was worried when I did my first sweep and didn't find you here. Do you know where Chloe is?"

There was a furious slamming and Chloe emerged from the supply closet. "Adrikins! The next time you think it's a good idea to shove me into a closet and risk your life to draw away an akuma, don't! My clothes smell as if they've been used to clean the hotel!"

Ms. Bustier looked at the young man who was rubbing the back of his head furiously, somewhat embarrassed and scared by what his actions might lead to. Before she could question the boy further the doors to the hotel opened and in stumbled Marinette, carrying a glasses case before stumbling to the floor.

Adrien rushed over to help his girlfriend as Chloe screeched about how the girl was leaving blood on the floor. Alarmed, Ms. Bustier and Adrien started to check Marinette out and asking where she had been.

"Mr. Stone wanted sunglasses that represented Paris and the Eiffel Tower, but the souvenir ones I first picked up, I knew he wouldn't like. I took them home to restyle them. I was about head back to the hotel when the akuma alert went off."

As the girl explained how she slipped backwards and hit her head against her bedpost, the teacher made sure the cut wasn't bleeding anymore. The injury wasn't as bad as she first thought and it was consistent with Marinette's clumsiness. "Why didn't you have someone look you over?"

"Well, I tended to it myself and it was not bleeding that much. I didn't want to worry my parents, I've been hurt enough these past few months, so I just came back here. I thought it was over." Adrien made his girlfriend promise next time she would have someone check her over if she got a head injury.

"If you're well enough to deliver sunglasses then your well enough to clean up the blood you left on the nice marble floor," Chloe sneered as she reached to take the glasses case when Ms. Bustier stepped in front of her.

"I'm sure the staff will get the mess cleaned up. Why don't you finish your assignment and let Marinette finish hers." Muttering Chloe resumed her post at the front desk with Adrien. Marinette headed upstairs to complete her assignment.

* * *

The next few days were really intense for Marinette, especially after she told the duo about the mysterious person. She had been so pleased when neither of them or Wayzz got mad at her for not following the vapor trail back to Hawkmoth. It all made them uneasy this mysterious person, who had some serious magical mojo, who beat up the Great Guardian without even touching her. This mage was a serious threat.

It was a rainy day in Paris and no one was enjoying it very much. A strange sickness had spread throughout half the city three days ago. Schools, business, and public areas had been closed. The hospitals were starting to overflow with patients with strange symptoms.

Some people complained about hearing unbearable sounds and increasingly painful headaches. Those people's body hair stared to stiffen up. Others came in with green rashes, offenses odors, and difficulty breathing. All the patients had erratic heartbeats, fevers, and fatigue. Sleep brought no relief as many had night terrors coming on.

Marinette, was one of the lucky few, whose family wasn't sick yet. A lot of her friends had become sick. In fact, her friend Rose and her music idol Jagged Stone, had been two of the first people who had been hospitalized. She really hoped they would be okay. "Do you think Rose is going to be okay? She's such a sweet little thing and now she's sick. She was really looking forward to meeting Prince Ali when he was supposed to be visiting Paris. Thanks to this sickness I doubt he'll ever come again," she told her video screen. She was Skyping with Adrien.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth I'm hoping our rock idol doesn't die either. Did you hear about that contest he was going to have? Giving people a chance to design his next album cover? Whoever designed would definitely push Jagged Stone to the top of the charts over that lame XY," The blond told his girlfriend.

She nodded and he took a deep breath. Thanks to this growing sickness, he was locked up in his house with the security system on and quarantined to his room. No one was allowed to come near him and his meals were being carefully inspected before he could eat anything. "I'm going crazy here. I'm glad I have you to talk to though, otherwise I might go insane. I can't talk to Nino anymore because he started getting sick yesterday."

Marinette gave him a sympathetic look. Alya was also sick and confined to her bed, but that hadn't stopped her from posting on her blog. She had a conspiracy theory that an Akuma was behind this and that the superhero due were going to show up and take care of it that is if they weren't sick already.

Marinette winced as she heard something fall. "I got to go Adrien. I'll talk to you later okay?"

"Okay I love you Princess."

"I love you more." She turned off the program and shut down her computer. She looked up at her bed where the Kwamiis had gathered. They were talking amongst themselves again and it had been Trixx's tail that had accidentally knocked her toy version of Chat Noir off her bed.

"Are you guys okay? Maybe you should all go back in your Miraculouses' to sleep. I wouldn't want any of you to get sick from whatever is going around. Two days early isn't going to hurt anything."

"You honestly expect us to go back to sleep right now in the middle of crises? You have a prophecy to deal with and strange sickness sweeping the city. It might all be connected to that person you saw," Pollen calmly pointed out. The others nodded. Seeing the dark mage was a bad omen.

Marinette pointed out just because there was a strange sickness going on, it didn't mean it was magical or caused by an Akuma. It could be something completely natural. "Not everything has to connect to something else. There are such things as coincidences right?"

"When you're a Miraculous wielder, especially a Great Guardian, coincidences don't happen very often," Wayzz informed her. He agreed with her that this wasn't the work of an Akuma. Hawkmoth always made his victims flashy and attention seeking, it was the only way to bring out the heroes. A sudden sickness that had crippled the city in three days without any reason? No it wasn't his style.

He was surprised when he looked down Marinette wasn't there. The trapdoor was open and she returned a few minutes later with some food for the Kwamiis. She kept glancing up at Duusu and rubbing her bracelet. Through their bond he could feel her wondering what would happen if she briefly bonded with Duusu to come up with a way to cure this sickness.

No, if this sickness is natural then Duusu's magic might not work. I have to be smart about this. As much as I want this to be a normal sickness, I don't believe it is. Walking to her window she looked out, trying to see if there was any energy stream in the air.

I don't see anything, but my gut is telling me there is something wrong. I think I need to take another look at the Miraculous Book. The Kwamiis all tensed as they saw the Great Guardian retrieve the Book from its hiding spot. She hadn't touched it since the night of the prophecy. They all gathered at her desk as she opened the tome.

"I really wish there was a chapter guide in this Book. It would help greatly or even index so I know what I want to reference." She started flipping through the pages searching for information about sickness or mages. She was determined to find something.

The Miraculous Book, sensing her thoughts, glowed again as the pages flipped on their own until it came to rest on the section about illnesses, both magical and not, and cures to them. The book highlighted half a page. The caption read, "Darkness and Terror Sickness."

"This magical induced disease was first used in the Middle Ages by dark mages, wishing to gain power, from the suffering of others. By mixing up a potion made of herbs, blood, and tainted water, infused with dark magic of any kind, the dark mage can then poison their target drawing out the darkness in their hearts and the terror of their minds.

While the combination causes the victim to grow seriously ill, the mage psychically collects the tainted life energy growing more powerful and enhancing the mage's physical condition.

This sickness can be spread to others by the victim's own thoughts and dreams. The new victims will spread it further and further until an entire city can become infected. All the while the dark mage grows in strength until they have enough power to perform whatever evil deed they wish to do, from summoning dark spirits or cursing an entire village.

The only way to stop this diseases is the cure the original victim. Two methods work. A counter potion which can be made with the ingredients below or the magic of a Peacock feather from a Miraculous wielder. The feather is infused with natural healing and positive magic that can undo the evil potion. The best results come from using the feather, but the potion is easier to make."

She closed the Book and looked at the Kwamiis. It was clear that the person who was collecting the negative energy from the Akumas, had create the poison that brought about this sickness. "These symptoms, could they be results of what kind of Akuma Rose and Jagged Stone could become?"

Wayzz nodded and said both had ruined moments that would have made them good candidates for Akumanzation, but because they were sick, it was only coming out in their nightmares. "I wouldn't be surprised if Hawkmoth is unknowingly powering up those dreams because he felt them for a few minutes."

"We need to cure them now. I can think of only one reason for creating this disease in the first place. _**He's**_ trying to regain _**his**_ former power as quickly as possible. What if _**he's**_ on a time table and waiting for akumas is no longer an option?" Trixx voiced to the group, her tail twitching in agitation.

Pollen agreed saying that she felt the prophecy was telling them they had only a little time left to prevent _**his**_ return. Looking down at cure potion she noted it would take days to make this. That was time they didn't have. People could die before they finished making this.

"Duusu, can we borrow a feather?"

"It's not my feather per say you need. It's the feather I create when I'm merged with my wielder. Our combined desire to heal creates a magic feather that last forever unless it's used." The little kwami looked ready to cry. Once again she was the healer who couldn't heal the sick. It was a very frustrating situation.

Marinette was feeling helpless and hopeless. How was she supposed to get a feather from the Agreste Mansion when it was in lock down? Was there even a feather left? Duusu reached out and felt two feathers were still in the mansion, the exact number they needed.

"If we use the feathers, then whoever your old wielder was, will lose them. What if they're being saved for something important?" Marinette questioned.

"If my past wielder has two feathers, then we have no choice, but to use them. Rose and Jagged Stone are dying last we heard. The entire city could die unless we get those feathers. I can phase them out of the mansion because they're an extension of me. We have to do this. Hopefully my past wielder will understand."

With no choice Marinette transformed and made her way to her boyfriend's home. Duusu told her to wait on the rooftop across the street for her return. She would get the feathers and be back. The Great Guardian stood on the rooftop biting her lip as she waited for the kwami to return. Time was creeping by as she anxiously hoping that the kwami hadn't been captured.

Finally, forty-five minutes later she returned holding two large peacock feathers. She had a grim look on her face, with tears in her eyes. Knowing something private happened, she didn't ask Duusu for details. Instead she headed to the hospital. It was sad that she was so familiar with the ICU now that she knew exactly how to get around without being caught. Peridot Turtle entered the rooms of Rose and Jagged Stone. She placed a feather on each of their chests watching as they melted inside the patients and returning them to normal health. Knowing they were cured the Guardian and kwami left knowing the epidemic was over.

* * *

It was the start of a brand new week. Life was back to normal as it could be. Most people believed that Alya's crazy theory about an Akuma caused sickness was correct, especially after hearing Rose's night terrors and seeing Jagged Stone's podcast. Marinette was a bit, just a bit, jealous that Ladybeetle and Chat Noir, had been herald as heroes once more, when it was because of her.

She was also sad because she had made the difficult choice of putting the girls back to sleep in their Miraculous. As much as she wanted them around and to help her, she wouldn't risk them being caught by a demon or the unknown mage. So once again they were slumbering in the hidden Miraculous Chest.

The Miraculous Book was back in its hiding spot. She wasn't going to let that fall into the wrong hands. Every time she took that Book out of its hiding spot, she felt as if she pushing her luck, that someone would find it. She was so worried about someone coming to take something or Wayzz, she had installed two locks, one on the trapdoor to the balcony and other on her door to keep everything safe.

"Can you believe it girl? Our super hero duo can do just about anything! I love the way they managed to do it without anyone seeing them! With them around, nothing can hurt us!" Alya told Marinette as she updated the LadyNoir blog. You would never have known that a few days ago Alya was confined to her bed.

"Yeah, it's amazing how magical they are. Still, they might one day have a foe they can't even beat," Marinette pointed out. Alya dismissed her saying she doubted there wasn't anything they couldn't do.

There was some shouting across the courtyard and everyone looked to see what it was. Of course one person doing the shouting was Chloe, the surprise was the other person was Mr. Damocles. Every student was wondering what the heiress was doing with the Headmaster.

"Ms. Bourgeois, this is not the appropriate place to discuss your accusations or complaints. If you would kindly come into my office," the old man urged.

"Fine! If that will make you listen and do as I ask, then let's go!" Chloe marched into his office like it was hers and the Headmaster followed behind her. All the kids looked at one another wondering what was going on, but none of them were willing to risk expulsion to find out.

"We should get to class now," Marinette urged Alya. The whole class made it into the classroom, each looking positively puzzled by what they witnessed. Even Adrien, after giving his girlfriend her morning kiss, he didn't know what was going on with Chloe either. Class started on time and everyone was paying attention until in the middle of the class the P.A. system went off. "Would the following students please come to the Headmasters Office; Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Agreste, and Sabrina Raincomprix. Teachers, continue teaching your students. I will be calling for you later."

Surprised, the three classmates left the classroom and headed to the Headmaster's office. None of them knew what was going on until they entered the office. Chloe was standing next to the desk looking very smug. She sneered at Marinette before looking at her phone. Suddenly Marinette tripped over air knocking into Adrien and the others.

"Sorry, I don't know what happened."

"It's alright Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Please all of you sit." Mr. Damocles looked nervous about something. He didn't really want to do what he was going to do, but his job was on the line.

"Ms. Bourgeois here has made some serious accusations against the three of you. These are serious accusations that could end with suspension or even expulsion if they are found to be true." The kids looked very shocked and surprised. What could they have done to be put in this position?

He looked first at Sabrina and explained to her that Chloe was accusing the girl of copying off her homework assignments for years and the dip in Chloe's grades was due to Sabrina fabricating Chloe's homework.

"Sir…that isn't… that isn't true! I never copied Chloe's homework! I always did hers because I thought that's what best friends did. If her grades have been slipping it's because she's finally having to do the work herself!"

"So you are admitting to doing another student's assignments? That is just as bad Ms. Raincomprix. As of right now, I have to put you on academic suspension until the investigation into this is finished. Collecting your things and call your father. I will call him once the investigation is concluded. "

Sabrina was crying as she left the office. Mr. Damocles turned to Adrien and informed him that Chloe had presented evidence of him leaving school grounds and skipping classes while pretending he was at a photo shoot. "Sir, I don't make things up. If I'm not in class, I either am working or there is an akuma. My father wants me safe during any attack. Sometimes that means leaving the school grounds until the problem is fixed."

"I understand young man, but I will need to look into you attendance record and speak to your father about this. Until then, you are serving in school detention for the rest of the day until this matter is resolved."

Adrien was angry and glared at Chloe, but he refused to leave. Not until he knew what she was accusing Marinette of. When Mr. Damocles explained that Chloe had a video of her breaking into Chloe's locker and stealing items, he was in disbelief. There was no way in the universe Marinette would do something like that.

"What are you talking about? I've never stolen anything from anyone's locker! I'm not a thief!" Marinette protested.

"You are such a liar Dupain-Cheng, just like the rest of your family. Here's the proof," Chloe said showing a video on her cellphone. In the video there was Marinette breaking into Chloe's locker and taking her makeup and extra jewelry.

"That video is a fake. Look at the time stamp! My friends will vouch I wasn't even on the school grounds when this alleged video was taken!"

"Are you accusing me, the Mayor's daughter, and the shining example of hope and modesty to city, of lying? How low are you Marinette?" Chloe asked her in that annoying voice as she stroked her choker. It was music to her ears that Marinette was expelled from school due to the vandalism and theft.

"That's not fair! You have to let me defend myself or at least investigate my side of the story!"

"My hands are tied Ms. Dupain-Cheng. Have you parents talk to the school board if you wish to fight the grounds of this expulsion." Sure his hands were tied, the Mayor's bratty daughter, had threatened to have him removed from the school for making it a target for akumas.

Marinette went home and told her parents what had happened. Of course they were upset and angry. They planned to fight this choice and prove their daughter's innocence of the so called crime. She went upstairs and fell on her bed crying. All she could think about was how happy Chloe was when she was expelled and taunting her by flashing her choker.

"Ugh, why can't I get that stupid choker out of my mind? Why do I even care that she's flaunting her riches again. I never did anything to her and she got me expelled!"

"It will be alright. Your parents will get you back in school and prove the video was doctored. You have nothing to worry about," Wayzz assured her. He knew what he was saying wasn't helping the situation.

In all honesty, he didn't understand the amount of cruelty one teenage girl could cause. Over the millenniums he had seen many cruel and evil people, even been bonded to one. Still, to him it didn't make sense why Chloe would go out of her way and threaten adults about losing their jobs, to get students into trouble. According to the local laws, even if Chloe's dad was the Mayor, he didn't have the authority to remove Mr. Damocles from his position. So why did he cave in?

* * *

Marinette just kept crying, but her stubborn mind wouldn't forget that last moment with Chloe. Why was she thinking about a stupid choker that looked like a snake? Something was in the back of her mind, trying push itself to the front. Something about that piece of jewelry was important.

 _She found herself back in the room. Everything looked exactly the same. There was no new addition to the door, nothing about the room had changed. All the stain glass windows had their figures in them, and the banners were still there sparkling. The only thing different was that she hadn't been asleep, she had come here on her own power._

" _Hello, is anyone here? I need some advice. Is anyone here?" she called out. Still no one appeared. She walked over and took a look at the different stain glass windows. They all looked normal, then she did a double take. For the first time in her memory, the green window was now bright and visible._

 _She walked over there and saw herself as she was. Even the caption said so. Peridot Turtle holding her weapon in front of her, with a determined look on her face. She touched the glass as it rippled. The figure inside the window started to move._

 _Marinette took a few steps back as Peridot Turtle landed gently on the ground. She was smiling proudly at Marinette, as if the girl had accomplished something important. "I knew you could do it, you have succeeded on what has been a difficult journey."_

" _What do you mean? Why was your window dark for so long? Am I you only a seventh of the time? What wisdom do you have for me?"_

 _Peridot Turtle giggled gently. "Oh Marinette you have only been Peridot Turtle once and that is right now! I was a possibility, a version of you that you created by becoming the Great Guardian. You have truly grown if you can now see yourself in all these different possibilities."_

 _Marinette started at Peridot Turtle in stunned disbelief. She had created this version of herself? All these different versions of herself were very real. Suddenly something clicked in her mind. "I know what this place is. I know who all of you are. This is my soul room, the center of my very soul, held in here is my essences of who I truly am."_

 _Peridot Turtle nodded pleased that Marinette had figured it out. "We all have souls, the essences of what makes us up. Our experiences, dreams, and anyone and everyone who's touched us. Your soul is your most precious gift given to you."_

" _That evil voice, the first time I connected with the deepest part of my soul,_ _ **he**_ _was trying to destroy it or corrupt me. But why did **he** start before I even came in contact with Master Fu?" _

" _ **He**_ _knew if you ever gained a Miraculous, you would become a threat. Because_ _ **his**_ _soul has been part of the cosmos for so long, it's not surprising_ _ **he**_ _can sense when a special pure hearted soul is born. After all, you are a rare polypossuman; a treasure and a_ _One._ _"_

 _Of course the bluenette was confused for a minute. What was a polypossuman? She broke it down section by section. Poly meant many, poss could be the first part of possibilities, and uman was the last part of human. A rare treasure and a_ _One._ _Could she mean only one percentile?_

" _You know what that word means, I see. Yes, most of humanity can dream about and see possibilities for them to take. They take many different paths, but it's a slow journey with only one part of your soul._

 _You belong to a very minor group of humans that have ever existed. You don't just see possibilities, you draw on the different parts of your soul. You are aware of the different paths you take and how you can make any possibility happen. You can draw on strengths from whatever road your soul has traveled on in this or other versions of the time line."_

 _She pointed at the windows and said that only once a century was a person born with this power and it was incredibly rare for them to get a Miraculous. That's what the list in the Miraculous Book was that was hidden. Only a_ _One_ _, along with a Miraculous,_ _could defeat_ _ **him**_ _or prevent_ _ **his**_ _resurrection via a new piece._

 _Something clicked in Marinette's mind at that second. "The seals, they only sealed away_ _ **his**_ _soul, heart, and body, but_ _ **his**_ _mind remained active. If_ _ **he**_ _was somehow able to bind_ _ **himself**_ _to a mind of another human,_ _ **he**_ _become stronger than ever. A host that would keep the pieces together and add their own darkness to_ _ **his**_ _. Not even the seven Miraculous could stop_ _ **him.**_ _That's what Mariposa meant!"_

 _The visions of the collar appeared in front of her. She spun it slightly just enough that the purple gems merged as one. "It's not a snake! It's a dragon! The indigo stones form the horn! Chloe has the Disastrous around her neck. She's the evil mage!"_

 _Peridot Turtle nodded. "You have to stop her before she awakens the demon. It will take everything you have and more to win this fight. You'll need these, in order to win." Out of the two balls on the meteor hammer came two small seven pointed stars, each with point was a different color._

 _Marinette, put them in her pocket waiting for an explanation. "You'll know what they are for and when to use them when the time is right. Now go!"_

* * *

Marinette blinked her eyes and she was back in her bedroom. She frantically got out of bed and tripped down the stairs to the floor below, but she didn't care. She looked at the clock and read the time. Hours had past and Chloe would be back home by now. Checking an app on her phone, she knew when sunset was. An auspicious time to perform rituals.

"Wayzz we have to go now! I know who the dark mage is and we need to stop her fast! Shell Close!" Instantly she was Peridot Turtle and started swinging from the sky. She urgently called the other heroes, but they weren't transformed.

Landing she used her weapon to call their phones. It didn't matter where they were or what they were doing. She needed Chat Noir and Ladybeetle now! Again the messages went straight to voice mail. "This is Peridot Turtle, I need your help. I know who the dark mage is. Its Chloe Bourgeois, she plans to resurrect the demon today at sunset and merge with it! Get your butts to the Le Grande Paris hotel stat!"

She took off running again as she started to text on the weapon. Even if they were enemies and he was still hidden, she hoped somehow her text would reach Hawkmoth. Whatever his goal was she was pretty sure he didn't want to be killed by a demon.

* * *

Hawkmoth was in his lair searching for a new victim. He could feel negativity rising. The city was ripe for picking another Akuma. He hadn't created that stupid sickness he was accused of. Sure he had touched the minds of those two humand briefly, but they had become sick at least an hour after that.

"I know my powers can't cause sickness, if they did Nooroo would have warned me, he's to kind-hearted not to," Hawkmoth mumbled to himself. As he went searching for another victim, to his surprise, the pommel of his cane started to glow and buzz.

"What in the world? This thing gets text messages?" Hawkmoth stated in disbelief. Maybe he should have studied the weapon non-combative capabilities before now. Tapping the top of the pommel a short message appeared.

 _"I don't know if this will work, but I'm hoping beyond hope this message gets through. My name is Peridot Turtle aka the Great Guardian. You have no reason to trust me and I will be coming after you one day to get Nooroo back. Right now that isn't important._

 _A powerful demon from the past that was sealed away by the seven Miraculous users 160 years ago is about to be revived, thanks to its partner for stealing the negative energy you use to connect with the Akumas. You may be my enemy, but I don't want to see you dead or have your blood on my hands if I didn't warn you._

 _Please deactivate the Miraculous and hide, it might be your only chance to avoid being sniffed out and killed. I hope you take my advice. That's all I can say and this is strange, but I hope you are safe and sound from harm. P.T."_

Hawkmoth was amused by this. The Great Guardian had sent him a warning message about a demon? Did she really believe he would fall for something like that? It was just a fluke she got through to him.

He was ready to back to his work when the entire flitter disappeared into the Miraculous. It glowed and suddenly he was a civilian again and Nooroo was holding the Miraculous and looking frighten. "What is the meaning of this? How did you…"

Nooroo flew into the man's face and flashed his wings exposing his eye spot in a threatening manner. "You may not want to take precautions against _**him**_ _,_ but I refuse to die because of your selfishness. I can counter you if both our lives are truly in a life or death situation. This counts!"

Hawkmoth was stunned. His quiet whimpering little kwami had become a strong, serious, and forceful butterfly before his eyes. "The warning is real? What she said is true?"

Nooroo nodded his head. "The Guardian's Oath forbids them from lying to other Miraculous users when they are in danger. I was there when _**he**_ was defeated. Believe me when I say that if this demon comes back stronger than ever, you will die no question. We need to leave this place and find a stronghold to hide in until this is over or you could choose to help."

Hawkmoth stated as a villain his help wouldn't be wanted. He was going to follow the Guardian's warning and hide. Hopefully this demon wouldn't find them. If it did, they he would fight for his life.

* * *

Chloe had everything set up for her ritual. She had drawn the yin-yang symbol in chalk with a demon face separating the two halves. On the compass parts she had placed a candle in the corresponding color and element according to Chinese tradition. Black, which represented water and north. Green for wood and east. Red is south and the element of fire. White for metal and west. In the center of all this was a small alter. She had placed a yellow candle, for center and earth in the middle. Sitting on the raised sections of the ritual alter sat objects reflected in mirrors behind them. A black fossilized heart that was starting to beat. The Disastrous which was glowing pure white, and a bottle of that negative energy potion. In front of the candle was a piece of rice paper and a bottle full of blood to write with.

"Soon the sun will be in position and we can begin the ritual. You'll be free and once we merged together nothing will stop us," Chloe laughed. She had removed most of her outerwear, simply wearing a short top and skirt. Without all her clothing on you could see flecks dragon scales growing out of her body. Her toenails had become claws. It was because of that special body lotion no one had seen the scales before.

She felt her invisible friend slither and wrap around her. She stroked the creature gently as it chuckled darkly. _**"I couldn't be prouder of you my star. You have truly become a powerful mage and embraced your true inner nature. I pity the fool who attempts to stop this ritual."**_

The wards on the balcony flared warning of an intrusion. The glass from doors shattered as a ball from one end of the meteor hammer busted through and wrapped around the handle pulling it open. The other ball swung around covering Peridot Turtle as she entered the suite.

"Chloe, you need to get rid of that oh my god," Peridot Turtle froze at the sight before. It wasn't just Chloe's scales, she could feel the amount of negative energy in this area bottling up the positive. What was truly scary was seeing the outline of a demon wrapped around her and watching the essences of evil pulling closer and closer together.

"Well, at last you grace my presence so called _Great Guardian_. I was wondering if you even had a sliver of courage to come here after the beating I gave you. Everyone else learned to not mess with me, but then again you're too stupid, naïve, and weak to learn anything."

Keeping one eye on the nearly invisible demon, Peridot Turtle used her other to make eye contact. "Ms. Bourgeois, Chloe, listen to me please. Whatever powers _**he**_ gave you, _**he'll**_ take them back. Whatever you were promised won't happen. If you undo the seals and resurrect this demon, you'll lose everything including yourself as _**he**_ consumes you from the inside out leaving you as just and empty vessel." She was begging her tormentor to listen to her and reason.

Chloe's eyes flashed a brilliant gold as she snapped her fingers and spread her arms wide. The glamor on her suite vanished as it revealed the true reality of the room. They were on the astral plane where there was everything a person would need to train with and learn how to become a powerful dark mage.

"I'm not some stupid _child_ Peridot Turtle. I've been training for this my whole life! Everything I have ever done, from stealing valuables from guests and selling them on the black market, to using my so called best friend's own life force to prolong my life and hide these scales, not to mention the fun I've had testing out my powers on my classmates and Paris as a whole, to ensure my success tonight!"

Chloe laughed as she fired bolts of dark energy at Peridot Turtle. The teen jumped around and flung one end of her weapon at Chloe as the other shot behind her and whacked the demon's soul in the head. It didn't cause any damage, just smarted a bit.

" _ **You are weak child. Fu was foolish to entrust**_ _you_ _ **as the Great Guardian of the Miraculouses. He should have learned when his own daughter died that a girl has no place holding such a power."**_

Peridot Turtle slid across the floor before spinning on her shell and bowling over the heiress. Chloe growled as she kicked out with her foot when her opponent tried to stand sending her flat on her back. Peridot Turtle blocked her face the blond tried to punch her or use her scales to slice open the carapace.

The jewel on the carapace lit up and in a flash they were back on the living plane in Chloe's room. There were two guests in the main room, Chat Noir and Ladybeetle. Both looked shocked at the sudden appearance of the others. They were even more shocked by Chloe's obvious magic and the outline of the invisible demon getting clearer.

Using her telekinesis Chloe flung them all into the wall. She bent their bodies intending to break them. Chat Noir touched his baton and it extended pinning the heiress to the floor just outside her bedroom where the ritual had been set up.

The girls found themselves free. Ladybeetle tossed her yo-yo wrapping it all around Chloe tightly trying to prevent her from moving. Meanwhile Peridot Turtle was in a fight against the evil demon as she attempted to get to the altar and destroy the ritual items. "Hold still Chloe, I'm going to try to purify you from your demonic attachment."

The magic yo-yo string started to stretch before it completely unraveled and twisted around to tie up Ladybeetle. Chat Noir baton was shoved into his stomach as he was pinned to the sofa. Before Chloe could make another move she and her invisible demon friend went flying on the balcony as glass cut into the heiress skin thanks to Peridot Turtle quick thinking.

Peridot Turtle wonder off hand why no one had come running up to the suite to investigate the noise as she freed Ladybeetle and Chat Noir. Suddenly a full on indignity foul mood Chloe scream echoed throughout the hotel and the streets of Paris.

Chloe was literally levitating a foot off the ground, her features distorted in anger as she raised her hands towards the sky as storm clouds formed. "You think you have stopped me? That you can prevent what is destiny? I will crush you Miraculous wielders and eat your bones for dinner!"

Out of the storm cloud two twisters, one of fire and one of water, formed. Both descended onto the hotel as life and death screams could be heard coming from the lower floors. "Make your choice heroes. Save the people of this hotel or stop me from completing the ritual. You don't have enough time to do both."

There was a look of indecision shared between the trio. It would take all of them to get everyone out safely, but if they all left the ritual would be completed and super charged demon with a major grudge against Miraculous users, would be free.

"Peridot Turtle, stay and fight! Chat Noir and I will save the trapped people. Trust us we can handle this!" With a tiny nod the duo rushed out of the room going as fast as they could to help people leaving the Great Guardian to finish what she started.

Peridot Turtle made a mad dash for the bedroom intending to stop the ritual only for Chloe to levitate inside and cast a shield spell blocking the girl's attempt to get in. Peridot Turtle banged on the shield trying to disrupt it as Chloe got started on the ritual.

She tilted the mirrors to catch the light of the sunset. The light bounced off the mirrors lighting all the candles. "I invoke the power of water to give life to the unbalanced. I invoke the power of wood to splinter the seals that binds my friend. I invoke the power of fire to grant me the eternal flame to unite that which has been broken. I invoke ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

Chloe was interrupted as her shield spell fell down by the overwhelming positive energy put out by the Turtle Miraculous. Peridot Turtle yanked the evil mage off the yin-yang symbol, punched her in the gut and shoved her into the bathroom blocking the door tightly.

" _ **You will not ruin my glorious return!" He**_ bellowed at her as he rushed the bluenette. She met him head on pile driving her fists onto his head. He swung his tail as she back bent over it. Dodging to the side she avoided the claws strikes. The spell had started to take effect making him more visible, but still not altogether.

"I won't let you win Keung! You were defeated by Master Fu once and I can do it too."

" _ **I am not Keung!"**_

"No, you're a god named Gong-Gong who was banished from the heavens for nearly bringing the sky down. You couldn't handle a little thing like losing could you?"

" _ **I am not Gong-Gong! The individuals you address no longer exist! Two souls became one, alone as a human and god we lost, together as a demon of the cosmos I am unstoppable!"**_

Peridot Turtle jumped off Chloe's bed before it was smashed to bits. She used her weapon remove the white candle from the yin-yang symbol. The demon tried to grab her, but ended up knocking over the altar. The young Great Guardian snagged the bottle of blood ink only for an explosion to send her flying through a wall to the outdoor balcony.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU AND MAKE EVERYONE WATCH AS I DISMEMBER YOUR BODY BEFORE I INCENRATE IT!" Chloe yelled at the top of her lungs. She truly looked inhuman as the scales grew and her teeth became super sharp. Her hair was wild and free.

She didn't care that the twisters continued to assault the hotel destroying floor after floor. That Ladybeetle was risking her life to save children from drowning in the restaurant. That Chat Noir was jumping through flames and crawling through smoke getting people to safety. No, all she cared about was completing the ritual.

" _ **Quickly my star! The sun has nearly set!"**_

Chloe marched over and relit the candle. With incredible strength she flipped the altar upright and replaced the items. "I invoke the power of metal, form an impenetrable armor so that nothing can defeat us. Come together, untie with the power of the earth to bring us all together." She sliced open her own hand and started writing her blood on the rice paper counter seals and the word for release. She fed the paper to the fire as the seals that held the three parts from joining became visible and then broke into tiny pieces.

"By the power of yin-yang and the cosmos of demons, make three objects become one. Let the reborn merge with the fourth to become the ultimate demon. I Chloe Bourgeois, the dark mage and star pupil of the demon Chaotic, command it!"

* * *

Out of the sky a burst of white and black energy struck the hotel engulfing the suite. Peridot Turtle rolled off the balcony as it broke. She fell to the street ready to be cracked open, only to be rescued by her fellow Miraculous users. "I tried. I couldn't stop it," she whispered to them.

By now, everyone in area was watching in disbelief as the twisters split and raced across the city forming a dome over Paris. The ground below shook as the city broke from the earth and floated up into sky reaching the edge of the atmosphere. The dome then turned into a sphere separating the city from the rest of the world.

A loud roar was heard as the outline of a dragon appeared in the sky above. First the Disastrous grew and stretched before it wrapped itself around the neck and clicked shut. Instantly the body of the dragon became visible. It was black with tiny patches of human skin. An indigo horn popped out its head as a mane of black and gold hair popped into existence.

Next a black heart rose into the sky and melted into demon's body, which started to move and twist as the creature's eyes changed from both brown to one blue. The claws turned gold as the dragon breathed out fire and water.

The potion rose into the air and tipped over into the demon's mouth. The creature radiated indigo light as the scales shimmered in the starlight. The monster truly came alive laughing and roaring in delight.

That's when Chloe herself levitated into the air aiming for the demon's body. The Mayor called out to his daughter trying to rush towards her, but he was held back by the heroes telling him there was nothing he could. Chloe merged with the demon. As soon as that happened the creature appeared to gain a huge amount of intelligence and the upper part of the body turned more feminine.

" _ **I am finally free! I'm once again whole and now with a mind from the modern age assisting me, I can't be beaten. My star is now part of me and I'm and stronger than ever! People of Paris, bow to your new Emperor. I am the demon Chaotic and nothing, not even your puny Miraculous heroes, can save you!"**_


	9. Alone now Together

The whole city of Paris was frozen as they watched the demonic dragon roar in triumphant glory. Chaotic's eyes locked on the three heroes and he sent a stream of fire at them. _**"I shall enjoy roasting you to bits."**_

They jumped apart and yelled at the crowd to get away. Many people started to scatter and run in all direction unsure where to go to get away from this monster. The demon smashed his long tail against the buildings causing them to fall. Several people screamed in terror while others tried to help trapped victims.

The police arrived on the scene and started shooting the demon as rescue workers tried to free the injured. The demon hissed and let loose a waterfall of water as it tried to make the Seine overflow. _**"Pathetic humans. Do you really believe an all-powerful immortal demon will fall to such pathetic weaponry of men?"**_

"HEY CHAOTIC! YOU LOOK LIKE ONE OF THOSE HE-SHES! THAT HORN OF YOURS LOOKS AS IF IT'S BEEN CRACKED IN HALF! ARE YOU TOO DUMB TO KNOW DRAGON'S ARE SUPPOSE TO BREATH FIRE AND NOT WATER A GARDEN?"

Annoyed, Chaotic turned and saw the puny Chat Noir mocking him. The hero didn't know when to quit as he continued to mock the demon. The final straw came when he commented how brainless he must have been to choose brainless human as a host. The part of his mind that had come from Chloe burned in rage.

 _ **"You shall be the first to die!"**_

Chat Noir took off running as fast as he could leaping around as the indigo horn impaled the buildings he was running on. Glass shattered and people screamed. The massive horn took out power lines extinguishing the lights. The Chat Noir jumped to get some distance, but was snatched midair.

The demons claws dug into Chat Noir, who let out a scream as his suit failed to protect him. Blood was dripping out of his sides and he felt like one of his organs might have been pierced. He kicked as hard as he could, but the tough scales of the demon prevented him from doing any real damage.

 _ **"To think you could ever be a threat to me is laughable. The last Black Cat I faced, he didn't think insulting jokes was a good way to distract his opponents. No, it just makes them easier to eat!"**_

Chat Noir was flung in the air and coming down towards the monster's throat. He threw his baton, watching as it expanded, to prevent the jaws from closing. Even though he was in tremendous pain, he bounced off the baton and managed to cushion his fall with an awning below. He rolled off it, and started running, leaving a bloody trail.

The demon shrank in size and followed the blood eager to claim one of the Miraculouses. Twisting around the corners of the streets he was totally unprepared for when the corner fire hydrant burst open, the pressurized water scalding him a bit. It would be only a momentary delay, but it was enough for Chat Noir to slip into an empty shop and release his transformation.

* * *

"This is bad Plagg, seriously bad. Ugh," Adrien looked at the blood on his side and his hands. He was feeling very sick and tired. "I'm not sure I can move." He started to sway a bit before sitting up again.

"You need some serious medical help or at least some healing, but that will have to wait. Ladybeetle and Peridot Turtle have drawn Chaotic away, but he'll soon be making numerous duplicates of himself to attack Paris," Plagg replied grimly remembering the last time he had faced the demon.

He didn't tell Adrien that he was sensing pain and suffering all over the city. Chaotic was letting loose blasts of dark magic destroying monuments. His massive body slammed through the city as fire and water burned down the different arrondissements. The entire city was panicking and in fear. Just as the demon intended it to be. "I hate to admit, but you need to go home or get some place safe. You can't transform until your injuries are taken care of. I need a recharge as well."

"Right, head to Notre Dame or another church." Plagg shook his head explaining that Chaotic was created by Chinese magic, meaning it was an Asian demon. "Different countries, continents, the demons within them don't play by the same rules as demons from other places. Consecrated ground won't protect us from him. We need to go to fortress, a place of justice."

Adrien was confused, he knew Chinese religious priests and the book of I-Chang could defeat evil and offer protection with mantras, so why did he have to go to a place of justice?

"The two parts that made the original Chaotic demon, were an evil Miraculous user and a defeat god, both who escaped true justice for their crimes. Now that Chloe has joined and you saw how she hasn't faced justice, the only place they fear is the place where they _will_ have to face it. A fortress would give most of Paris a chance to survive."

"The Conciergerie! It fits the description. Ugh, I'm really hurting Plagg." Plagg promised to do what he could to keep Adrien alive until they could him medical help. They left the store and started to make their way to the Conciergerie, hoping that they would run into some paramedics along the way.

Meanwhile Ladybeetle and Peridot Turtle were struggling to get Chaotic to leave the rest of Paris alone, but it wasn't working. He used his duplication power and suddenly the streets were filled with mini demons. They had taken to their half demonic dragon and half human form. They looked almost the same as the ones from the memory, but there was a big difference. The right side looked like Keung and the left half looked like Chloe.

 _ **"Don't let anyone escape. They'll be trying to get away in the subways or even find entrances to the catacombs! Don't forget to search for hidden rooms or basements! Nobody escapes from Chaotic!"**_ a mix of Chloe's and Chaotic's voice blended together creeping more people out.

The smaller versions organized into tiny groups spreading across the arrondissements. As they flew around clouds of dark magic appeared. The clouds drifted up to the top of the sphere as they slowly blocked out the sun. It was getting harder and harder to see with no sun and the electricity was failing all over the City of Lights.

Ladybeetle froze as she witnessed the horrors around her. Four mini Chaotic's were surrounding a family. Their pet dog lay broken and bleeding. The parents were trying to keep their young kids safe, but there was no place to hide. In seconds they would be dead.

"NO! Lucky Charm!" the yo-yo transformed and a Pa Kua fell into her arms. "What the heck is this?" She glanced down at the family in trouble. The mini demons were about to leap at them. "I hope this is a symbol against evil."

The mini demons had drool dropping from their dragon jaws. Their claws were super sharp as they clicked them together. Hearing the little ones whimper made their ears twitch in delight. _**"Attack them now! Go for the kill!"**_

"Forget it!" Ladybeetle dropped into the circle and whirled the Pa Kua around, catching each mini demon in its mirror. They all screamed at their reflection as the protective symbol worked its magic pushing them further and further away until they fell into the subway system.

"Thank you very much. We owe our lives to you!" the wife said, crying.

"Thanks, but you need to get somewhere safe. Head to the No I mean Conciergerie. You'll be safe inside the walls. Trust me." The family nodded and started their journey to building.

"Beep Beep." Ladybeetle looked around. Mini demons were everywhere and above in the sky, Peridot Turtle was fighting alone avoiding magic bolts as she led the way to the Eiffel Tower, the city's greatest symbol of hope, hoping that the tower would protect her. The demonic dragon kept on her tail obviously enjoying the destruction it was leaving in its wake.

"Beep Beep." Spotting a restaurant she darted towards the building. The patrons had fled along with the staff. Even so she went into the back and closed pantry door. "Spots Off." Instantly the costume vanished and a tired Tikki emerged. A frightened Mireille started shaking badly "Tikki! Oh I should have used Miraculous Cleanse when I had the chance. Maybe my magic could have undone all this! Also, why would I say run to the Conciergerie?"

Tikki weakly shook her head. "These mini demons are not Akumas. Chaotic's power doesn't come from a Miraculous, but the Disastrous. Your magic is too small to make a big difference right now."

Mireille looked down and cried softly. She slid to the floor of the pantry and wrapped her arms around her legs. "Tikki, I'm so afraid. I don't think I can do this. I've just got use to saving the day and now I have to help stop a demon? It's too much."

Tikki looked at her wielder in sadness and fear. Sad that she had pushed her wielder too far too quick. Fear that Mireille would freeze or die against this foe. She needed to dig deep and help both of them find hope and optimism. "You are a terrific Ladybeetle and its okay to be afraid, scared to death even. Every one of my bugs have faced a similar situation like this. Something that seemed overwhelming and impossible to defeat. Yet they always found a way to go on." Tikki hovered in front of Mireille giving her an encouraging smile.

Mireille wiped her eyes and asked how. Tikki stated that there was much more to the Miraculouses than what her wielder had seen so far. . The earrings carried a bit of essences from every past wielder. Their experience and memories came to Mireille when she needed them.

"You mean, the person who owned my Miraculous, who faced this demon before, is giving me advice?"

"Just enough to let you know where you should be sending people to safety. A fortress was built to withstand constant attacks so it makes a better shelter. Not everyone knows that and many lives are at stake."

Mireille stood up and got out of the pantry. She looked around and for some desserts for Tikki to refuel on. She couldn't do anything right now as Ladybeetle, but she could do something as Mireille Caquet. Hopefully the emergency generator was still running at the school to power the student radio system.

* * *

Peridot Turtle was panting as she dodged another explosion behind her. Her shell was starting to heat up and her suit was trying to cool her down, but it wasn't working so well. A blast in front of her stopped her in her tracks. The tail smashed her into the air as she flailed about.

She swung her weapon out, the chain lengthened as the balls wrapped around a building column pulling her out of the fire's range. The demonic dragon roared loudly as fountains of water sprayed out of his mouth. Taking a running leap, she jumped into those fountains and used her costume's natural streamline to zip from one fountain to the next. Pulling something out of her suit pocket, she poured a mixture over her weapon. She remembered from the memory that she needed to hit the weak spot, the scar on his face where Xinyi had scratch him.

Chaotic hovered over her watching in amusement as the silly guardian girl desperately tried to defend herself. She certainly wasn't Fu and even Zhu would have laughed himself to death if saw this tiny little girl trying to defeat the big bad demon.

 _ **"Just give up Peridot Turtle. You are no Great Guardian and worthless. Even your own kwami doesn't believe in you. This entire disaster right here is because he didn't trust in you!"**_ Chaotic started to chuckle, his massive voice echoing all over the sphere. In turn, his mini demons laughed along with him making a sonic attack. Many people dropped to the ground, some dead others with most of their hearing gone. The prophecy was happening word by word.

Peridot Turtle blocked it all out. Her mind was fully focused as she stood her ground, swung the meteor hammer faster and faster, before shooting it out and smacking him right where the scar was. The demon screamed as the special oil she had made a few days before, started eating away at his skin. He clawed as his face trying to get it off making it run deeper into the skin.

The Great Guardian started running again heading to the Eiffel Tower. If she could just get to the top, then she would be at the right height to break that Disastrous. If she could break it, maybe the pieces that made up Chaotic would start to drift apart. Maybe even she could save, shiver, Chloe, from herself.

She made it to the tower and started climbing. Going in between the different structures trying to keep out of sight, and plan her next attack. Already Chaotic had managed to come up with a plan to use his water to clean his face and used torn flags and tree sap to make a bandage. In the past; he had ignored his injuries. Having Chloe's mind to draw information from _was_ a big help!

In seconds, Chaotic had wrapped himself around the Eiffel Tower. His teeth flashed and claws tried to reach her. Bouncing around and punching, she kicked her way up to the top. Her suit was torn to bits and there was a small tooth embedded into her shell. The extra fabric was no more and her carapace was blackened by all the close calls.

Pulling herself up to the top, she held her weapon and stared directly into Chaotic's eyes. "I'm not afraid of you! Ao, Master Fu, he stopped you once and I can too."

 _ **"That fool couldn't even properly kill me! I destroyed him completely and the best, he and the six others could do, was suspend my soul, heart, and body in limbo, hoping they would never get back together? They couldn't even do that properly!"**_

"It stopped you from re-ememgering for a hundred and sixty years! You don't like girls and you ended up needing one, ironic is it not? Chloe may be a brat, but once I free her from your grasp, you'll lose a great deal of power. After all, you won't have a human soul to consume for extra power."

Chaotic threw back his head and laughed. It was the usual laugh, you could definitely hear both Chloe and Chaotic laughing together. The hair from the main whipped around wildly in the air creating a whirlwind that pushed Peridot Turtle up against the rail. "What's so funny?!"

 _ **"Forgive me, I didn't realize, you didn't understand the full grasp of the situation. You believe that I corrupted a child to use her soul for power?"**_

"I can't think of any other reason for you to use Chloe. The seals kept you locked up. Somehow, you learned to manipulate the cosmos, so your soul could enter the astral plane. How else would you enter someone's dreams to teach them?"

 _ **"I didn't have to teach her much, just control and focus, how to pass as human. It can be rather difficult for a she demon to control her impulses around humans, especially the men."**_

Seeing her shocked expression followed the confusion, Chloe's mind told him it was the right time to utterly destroy her confidence and self-worth. _**"Shall I explain my extraordinary return to triumph? I will, I want these humans to know resisting me is futile and how they got in this position, thanks to their leader."**_

The demon's eyes glowed as tendrils of dark magic spread across the sky creating huge glowing bubbles as memories began to play. Those who hadn't gotten to safety yet found themselves becoming rooted to the spot as those in safety felt the pressure of negativity building. The whole city all witnessed the defeat of the demon and the sealing. The memory zoomed into the sky as Chaotic's soul twisted about in the stars in agony. Going over the memory again and again, trying to find the moment he went wrong.

The memory changed and according to a little floating calendar; five years had passed. Chaotic's soul was still chained up in the stars, but he had begun practicing projecting himself to other places, using the cosmic energy around him to do so. He couldn't turn it into raw power to use like before, but by projecting himself he could follow the current of energy wherever it went including back to Earth.

A new memory, it showed a man who looked similar to the Mayor helping load a truck with crates filled with opium. The outline of Chaotic's soul locked on to the individual. The cosmic energy could feel the man's greed and power. _**"For those who don't know their history, it's the end of the second Opium War in China. The British, with the help of the French, won and the set about to legalizing the opium trade, to expand coolie trade, to open all of China to British merchants, and to exempt foreign imports from internal transit duties. With this victory, China was forced to start trading is valuables with the rest of the world.**_

"That man, he's a member of the Bourgeois family isn't he?" Peridot Turtle whispered, not knowing her question was heard all over the city. "You attached yourself to him just so you could use the drug trade once more to gain power."

 _ **"Partially my dear, but please keep watching. The best part is still to come!"**_

New memories of returning to France, watching the different events pass as Chaotic continued to whisper in the ears of the different members of the family, helping them gain power, wealth, and prestige. During this time Chaotic learned if he focused hard enough he could manipulate the cosmic energy and make something small happen. _**"This family, their pride and greed, their ambition and self-importance is what drew me to them and slowly I figured out that if I could manipulate small amounts of cosmic energy, I could take a bit of life force as well."**_

The memory changed to the moment the Bourgeois family bought plot to build their huge hotel on. Chaotic knew his other parts moved around constantly over the years, never staying in the same place very long, just as his soul drifted about in cosmic energy stream. But that day, he used all the energy he had saved to call for his heart.

 _ **The seals held of course, I couldn't get my heart directly. That didn't stop me from using Andre Bourgeois great uncle to carry out what I needed. The man was clueless that he used magic to bring my heart to the foundation. They believed it was a lucky charm, a solid heart showing their power."**_

"You knew their family could handle magic, learn to use it, to help you. They could barely sustain you, but if you manipulated as much as you could, they could eventually put you back together," Peridot Turtle realized horror, almost losing her grip on her weapon.

 _ **"Very good little turtle. You are a quick study. However after my stunt, the seals intensified nearly shattering my soul and heart at the same time. I had stretched too far trying to manipulate things on the living plane. I needed another way to gain help."**_

The memories changed showing the demon's heart locked up in the hotel office on display. It showed people touching it and being tested by its power, but nobody could hold onto it long. Even when their souls were brought to the astral plane they failed the training and ended up having nightmares.

The memories changed showing Chaotic manipulating small events, watching the results of what happened. A push here and someone's beloved fell in love with the wrong person. A tiny shove and a person got lucky enough to win something. There was an eureka moment for the demon.

The memory changed, this time it showed Chloe's mother and her Father, years younger talking in the office. They were rubbing the heart wishing for luck on having a baby. He reached out in the cosmos and found out what he needed to know.

 _ **"By this time, I had been bonded to this family for so long, I could see into their very essences, the blood of this family. You do know the power of blood right?"**_

A new memory showed Andre in his bedroom, preparing to go to the bed that night. The outline of Chaotic came into view as he sucked as much darkness and life energy from the man, growing in strength. Andre collapsed to the floor. The scene changed, they were still in the bedroom, but now on the astral plane.

The memory showed Andre talking with the demon. It was clear that Mr. Bourgeois couldn't see the demon properly, but his ears perked up when he heard the words; god, family, power. They shook hands as part of Chaotic's soul merged with Andre's and re-entered his body and got up.

Peridot Turtle tried to block out the next memory, knowing it was a sex scene. She could hear the sounds of rough sex and ecstasy. There was a lot of thumping and bumping. When she opened her eyes, all of Andre's soul was back in his body.

 _ **"The man would never admit he had a low sperm account. The chances of him ever fathering a child were astronomical, but when you let a former god, take your body for a spin, well let's say the results can be interesting."**_

The memory changed and suddenly there was baby Chloe in her bassinet surrounded by the best of the best. Chaotic was in the nursery cooing at the child, telling her that when she was older, she would rule the world.

A few more memories played of Chloe's life growing up. She constantly rejected the humanity given to her by her mother, until her human soul had nothing left, but a flicker of humanity. She embraced her demonic heritage, the mix of demonic and Bourgeois blood creating a powerful dark mage and eventually the piece needed to resurrect Chaotic.

" _ **So you see pathetic little Great Guardian, Chloe's human half side died out a long time ago. You can't rescue her, because she doesn't want to be. Over the years we've set in motion the events that bring us today."**_

Peridot Turtle gasped upon realizing something important. "You, you killed my mentor and you tried to kill me! Every Akuma, Chloe either caused or manipulated the situation that would make someone an akuma! She made Sabrina sick and I bet you had something to do with Nooroo's Miraculous ending up with Hawkmoth!"

" _ **Yes, that's the truth and I enjoyed watching the old man loose his life knowing he failed to stop me! Now I'll make you suffer and wish for death!"**_ Two seconds before the he destroyed the tower Peridot Turtle managed to get away with only partial the destruction of the Eiffel Tower, most citizens lost their hope.

Knowing her transformation was about to drop, she used her power. "Shell Guard!" she poured everything she had, including part of her longevity, into that shield to keep one half of Paris safe before making a hasty retreat as Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

* * *

Adrien had made it to the Conciergerie. The bleeding was starting to slow down and didn't have the urge to pass out as much. As he had been dragging himself to the Conciergerie, he had heard Mireille on the emergency radio band telling all citizens to make their way to the building saying that the old fortress turned court building, was a safer and stronger place to hide in instead of churches.

As he stumbled up the stairs, someone caught him before he fell to the ground. "I got you buddy, it's going to be okay. We need a medic over here!" Nino yelled as he half carried his friend into the main floor towards the area that had been set up to be triage.

A young medic came over and looked shocked by the wounds the boy had. They were some of the worse he had seen so far. "Lie down kid, we need to check you out. It's going to be okay," he assured Adrien. The medic pulled out a portable ultrasound and started using it to check the organs.

"You're a lucky kid. Those claws missed your organs by a mere centimeter, the muscles took a nick, but they should heal. Right now we need to stitch you up and give you some fluid. Maybe even some blood."

"No…blood…please. I can't risk it." Adrien knew that if he was given a transfusion, he would be out for hours, even days, and that was time the city didn't have. He needed to get back out there and help defeat Chaotic.

"Young man I don't think you understand how dangerous the situation is. If you don't get some blood you could go into shock, perhaps die."

Adrien started to protest even more when he heard his father's distinct footsteps. In a matter of seconds, Mr. Agreste, Nathalie, and the Gorilla surrounded him and the medic. "Father, I'm…"

"Save your strength Adrien," his father told him as he laid a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. He had a very concerned look on his face. He looked at the medic with determination in his eyes. "I understand that you think a transfusion is necessary, but I must also insist you don't do one. My son has is very healthy and as soon as the wounds are closed, he should start feeling better."

The medic argued that the boy had lost a good amount of blood judging by the size of the wounds and his fatigue and coloring. Mr. Agreste stood there calmly and said that unless the medic could do an accurate blood count, to determine if a transfusion was really necessary, he didn't want his son to have one. "The entire city is making their way here. You'll have a huge amounts of people who need blood and you can't spare any of it to non-critical patients such as my son. It is unlikely you'll make a mistake, but clearly my son doesn't want to take a chance. Fluids will be enough as long as we suture the wounds."

The medic sighed, but agreed. While he set up the fluids, Gabriel surprisingly started to suture his son's wounds closed. It really wasn't that different from sewing with thick fabric. Soon Adrien's wounds were closed and his color was perking up.

Mr. Agreste turned to his two employees. "Nathalie, gather as many people as you can and help set up some kind organization system and checks so every person here can be accounted for."

Nathalie hid her surprise, but did as she was told heading to a cluster of officials to offer her services. The Gorilla was told to start rounding up healthy people with weapons to form a security force to protect the building and the people inside. With a silent nod, he walked off.

Blue eyes met green as father and son looked at one another. Adrien just stared at his father and pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming all this. Mr. Agreste sat down on a chair. He held his son's hand, the one with the ring, tightly. His expression was one of sadness, concern, and a bit of fear.

"Father, why did you, I mean it doesn't seem like, you're not behaving…"

"Adrien, please conserve your strength for now." He took off his glasses and cleaned them slowly. "I know it's hard to believe my actions, but it what your mother would do. She taught me how important it is to help in any way you can, especially during a crises."

Adrien did remember how his mom would do anything she could to help people. She was genuine and kind, never turning anyone away when they needed a helping hand. "I miss her."

"I do to son. If she was here right now, she would be assuring us that is okay to be afraid. That our fears are helping to protect us until we're ready to face them."

It was weird seeing Mr. Agreste being so open and vulnerable. He had done everything in his power to keep his family away from danger. The massive security system, the high fences and walls to protect his home. The best bodyguard money could buy to protect his son. Even with Akumas popping up, he had counted on Adrien's skills and knowledge to keep himself safe from harm.

This situation was entirely different. A demon, something unworldly had laid claim to the city. Cutting them off completely without any help. Paris was being destroyed as its people cowered and died. Nothing seemed to be able to stop it, even the heroes had retreated for now.

Adrien didn't like seeing his father like this. He shouldn't be trembling in fear. "I'm not going anywhere Father. I promise I'm not going to die," he reassured his father. It made him sick because he knew, that once he recovered, he would have go and he might lose his life in the process.

Mr. Agreste shook his head and told his son it was bad manners to make promises he couldn't keep. "You should eat something. It's going to be a long night and you'll need all the energy you can get." He placed a bag next to his son. From the smell he could tell it was Plagg's favorite. His breath hitched and he started to tremble.

Mr. Agreste put his glasses back on and tapped the Miraculous. "I tried to deny it for so long until I couldn't. I thought of a million ways to take this without your knowledge. I never wanted you to go through what your mother and I did." He paused and ran his hand through his hair and his expression changed again. He was still sad and a bit fearful, but there was also pride and love in his eyes and he had a smile on his face. "An old friend reminded me recently that if I love something, I must be willing to let it go and grow. Hold on to the memories of love, but don't cling to them so hard, you stop living."

Adrien's features soften and he looked respectfully to his father. He curled his own hand around his father's. "Thank you, for trusting in me. I will make you proud." Mr. Agreste hugged his son tightly.

* * *

Over with Mireille, her parents told her how brave she was sneaking back into school and broadcasting to the city where to find shelter and safety. They hugged her and told her that she was a real hero.

Mireille smiled saying she did what anyone would do in her situation. "I don't know if what I did was brave or reckless. How long can we last in here before the demon lays siege here?" she asked in a small voice. Fear was creeping back into her mind.

Her mother knelt a little so she was at the same height of her daughter. She put her hand on her daughter's cheek and gave her a reassuring smile. "We have to have faith that we can outlast this demon. As long as we keep believing we have a chance to survive, then we hold onto that to keep us going."

Her father nodded his head and hugged his wife and daughter. "I'm going to see if I can find anything in this place that can be used as a weapon. We need to arm ourselves." His wife nodded and gave him a kiss before he left.

"Mireille! Thank God you're okay!" Aurora shouted as she hugged her best friend tightly. She ignored the pointed look Mrs. Caquet sent her. The woman hadn't forgiven the blond entirely for putting her child through so much pain last year.

Mireille whispered to her how happy she was that Aurora was safe and sound. The two girls looked at each other in happiness, knowing that despite the odds, they were still alive. "Now would be a good time for Stormy Weather to reappear. I'm sure her weather powers would come in handy against a dragon demon."

Aurora nodded wishing she could just ice the monster and he would be gone. "Can I talk to you, alone for a moment?" she asked eyeing Mireille's mother.

Mireille nodded and the two friends went a small alcove to speak. Aurora looked around making sure no one was listening. She pulled out small crushed bag of cookies that she had bought at the bakery earlier and gave them to her. "I don't know why your little red friend needs to eat these, but I hope it's enough to help you transform."

Mireille sputtered asking what she meant. What little red friend? It was her who had a sweet tooth. Aurora told her now wasn't the time to be pretending she didn't know what the blond was talking about. "I'm afraid Mireille, I am afraid that we're going to die or worse, become slaves to a demon who joined with Chloe of all people! You can help stop that as Ladybeetle."

Mireille just stood there frozen as fear took over. Her mind raced as she tried to figure out how and when she had been exposed. Rule one of being a super heroine was that you didn't let people learn your civilian identity!

Seeing the panicked look on her friend's face, Aurora explained how she knew. "I figured it out a few weeks after I was akumatized. I don't really remember being Stormy Weather, but in my dreams, I have flashes of what happened. You would be the only one who would beg me to forgive yourself for whatever thing you did wrong to ruin your friendship." She played with her hair for a few minutes before speaking again. "That first time you invited me over to hang out, I saw something little and red peeking out of your pack before disappearing. It put things together."

"I'm surprised you kept it a secret."

"Like I'm going to expose my best friend to the world or worse Alya!" They both laughed as Aurora drew closer to her friend and held her hands tightly. "If you're brave enough to get people to safety without your powers, you're strong enough with your powers to do something. Use your fear to your advantage."

Mireille nodded, promising she would transform as soon as she could. After all, the city needed to see their heroes.

* * *

Marinette was in another room with her family clutching herself. She was shaken to the core by what she had seen and experienced out there. She had failed big time. She couldn't prevent the resurrection of Chaotic, stop the she-demon Chloe from becoming part of Chaotic, and giving him everything he need to take control of the city. She couldn't even slow down Chaotic.

"Marinette, it's going to be okay. I don't how or when, but I know that things will turn out okay," her mother assured her. She tried to hug her daughter who pushed herself away.

"We're hiding in a fortress while a demon patrols the skies destroying our beloved city. We're hanging in the sky near the edge of space with no signs of help and the only reason we haven't died from oxygen deprivation is the sphere that traps us. Not even Chat Noir and Ladybeetle could stop this Chaotic."

Tom looked at his wife and she looked at him. Marinette was very afraid and they didn't know how to help her. The truth was safety was an illusion. That new heroine's shield was the only thing keeping this half of the city safe from harm for now.

"This demon has been defeated before and he can be defeat again. I'm sure that someone will come up with a plan that will work. It's not just two heroes now, there's three."

Marinette seemed to cry more about hearing that. "Something tells me this Peridot Turtle is in over her head and can't do a thing to save the day." She sniffed and walked out the door heading to the bathroom. Her parents didn't follow her.

In the bathroom, Marinette collapsed in the stall crying. She shook with fear and was barely able to keep it together. Wayzz came out, ripped some paper, and tried to wash away her tears. "You can't give up Marinette. The city needs you. Your fellow Miraculous wielders need you. Your family and friends need you."

Marinette just hung her head, her pigtails drooping. "I don't think I can do this Wayzz. I know you warned me in our lessons about using my longevity to power my move to hold after I detransformed that it could be very costly to my health. Just one more think I screwed up."

She was actually surprised and shocked when the little turtle kwami struck her in the face. His entire body language had changed, from being a sad yet firm kwami to one who looked very understanding and loving. He touched the Miraculous letting her feel how proud he was of her. That she had exceeded his expectations. It was okay that she would never be a perfect Turtle, maybe he need to learn the ways of Ladybug to become balanced himself. Wayzz finally understand that he and his wielder didn't have to shoulder the burdens of being the Great Guardian by themselves.

Wielder and kwami hugged each other tightly. She brought out some more carrot sticks as he devoured them as fast as possible. It was time to pull herself together and be ready to address the city of Paris. She was still full of fear, but now wasn't the time to show it.

* * *

An hour later, when it seemed like the people had formed some resemblances of a leadership and advisors and the security force was running and checking the windows for signs of trouble, Ladybeetle and Chat Noir appeared on the second floor balcony looking down at everyone. The gestured for someone to come forward as the city of Paris at large got their first real look at Peridot Turtle.

They had been lucky to find some stands and microphones to help project their voices to the people gathered here. "Citizens of Paris, we know that you are frightened and angry. Most of you probably are wondering where we've been during this crises," Ladybeetle said.

"We've been doing everything we can to help save lives and get people to safety. We've fought mini demons, rescued people, and above all our associate and mentor Peridot Turtle, has been struggling to keep her protective shield up. I know we haven't doing as much as you want, but even we need to rest for a time."

Peridot Turtle cleared her throat, ready to speak when Alya shoved her way forward and thrust her phone forward startling the heroine. She struggled to get up, but Alya was in her personal space.

"I'm Alya Cesare, you probably know me as the author of the LadyNoir blog. I have so many questions to ask. When did you get your Miraculous? What powers do you have besides creating shields? Our heroes call you their mentor, but we've never seen you until recently, so where have you been?"

Not even noticing that Peridot Turtle's mouth was frozen she continued to bombard her with questions. How did she know that Chloe was about to release a demon? Who was her mentor and what did the demon mean when he called her the Great Guardian? More and more questions, some very personal, kept bombarding her. She was shrinking under the pressure.

Two angels, aka Alya's parents, showed up right then, fed up with the daughter's over intrusive behavior and lack of common decency, all in the pursuit of story, that she forget real people were the subject. It was time that she learned about a valuable journalism story in the form of the boiling frog parable.

Mrs. Cesare took her daughter's phone, removed the SD card and stamped her foot on it destroying it. Her daughter looked at her in shock ready to yell when her mother handed the phone to her husband who was ready to drop it to the floor and break it.

"Alya Bernadette Cesare, enough! I will not have you harassing people or risking your life for a story, especially when you can't distinguish when the pursuit of the truth isn't as important as protecting the innocent from the backlash of your actions." Roughly grabbing her daughter by the arm she passed her to her husband who was already silently whispering the parable to her.

"I apologize for my daughter's forwardness. Any interviews can wait until after you tell us how we can all work together to defeat this demon." With a slight bow Mrs. Cesare left the balcony to have a serious talk with Alya.

* * *

Well at least Alya will know what it's like to be on the other end of the conversation. "My name is Peridot Turtle and I will do my best to explain where this demon came from and what are our options are in defeating him. A little over a hundred and sixty years ago a bitter young man named Keung found the Chinese God of Water, the great Gong-Gong, who was searching for revenge to destroy those who humiliated him. Together, they used black magic to create a magical collar, that would bind them together as one immortal and nearly all powerful demon name Chaotic.

My mentor and past Miraculous users worked together to capture and defeat the demon, but not before innocent lives were lost and the landscape was forever scared. They used a ritual and seals to separate the parts of him. Unfortunately, as we saw, Chaotic found a way around his sealing and is using his daughter Chloe to make himself all powerful."

"LIES! YOU ARE THE REAL MONSTER! YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE CALLED HEROS'! I WON'T LET YOU RUIN MY DAUGHTER'S GOOD NAME!" Mayor Bourgeois shouted at the trio. His suit was in tatters, he had slight burns on his hands and he looked as if he had come back from the depths of the ocean. He had a mad look in his eyes, his mouth was wide open showing his teeth. His muscles flexed as he shoved his way through the crowd. The trio backed up as he got closer, afraid of what he would do.

"HOW DARE YOU CONTINUE TO SPREAD LIES ABOUT MY DAUGHTER?! SHE IS THE MOST GENEROUS, KIND-HEARTED, AND BELOVED PERSON IN THE WHOLE CITY. YOU PLANNED ON LETTING YOUR DEMON DESTROY HER DIDN'T YOU?"

"Mayor Bourgeois, I understand that you're angry and upset, but I would never release a demon or not try to save her. I tried, but you saw the same thing the whole city did. You have to stop living in denial!"

"I HAVE TO DO NOTHING EXCEPT LOCK YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS UP! DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE A LYING DEMON MONSTER OVER CLEARLY JEALOUS LOW CLASS DARK MAGIC USERS! I WILL PERSONALLY HAND YOU THREE OVER AND THE DEMON WILL RELEASE MY DAUGHTER!"

A shadow formed around the Mayor for a second before he was lifted to the ceiling by hundreds of white butterflies. People gasped and moved aside as Hawkmoth, in the flesh, moved through the throngs of people holding out his cane. "I didn't need my emphatic abilities to determine that your anger is not about your so called daughter, but having the ugly truth shred your image. A demon will tell the truth if it's much more hurtful than a lie."

The police moved in to arrest him as the partners got ready to fight, when Peridot Turtle ordered everyone to stop. "What do you want Hawkmoth? Did you come here to take advantage of the situation or are you offering to help?"

Hawkmoth paused for a second staring at everyone. He tapped his cane and flitter of more butterflies carried him up to the balcony. He approached the trio before offering his cane to Peridot Turtle. She took it and watched as he spread his arms wide indicating they could take his Miraculous if they wanted.

Both villain and Great Guardian stared down each other. Both knew what was at stake here. Clearly Hawkmoth didn't want to die and he would prefer fighting to save the city then letting a demon control it. They also needed experienced Miraculous users if they were going to get close enough to injure Chaotic. He would be helpful as an ally more than an enemy at the moment.

Peridot Turtle hand him back the cane and spoke with authority. "For now we have a common enemy, and it pains me to admit that without your help, many of the people here will die. I call a truce, but you must swear to it by your Miraculous to make it binding."

He nodded saying if he did they had to do it to. After a short conversation it was agreed. Hawkmoth swore by his Miraculous he would do everything in his power to save, protect, and fight for the city of Paris and all who called it home. He wouldn't take advantage of anyone, nor would he attempt to take their Miraculous. In the immediate aftermath of this crises, (a week), he wouldn't attack the city.

In turn, they swore to assist and protect their fellow Miraculous wielder during this crises. They would make no attempt to take his Miraculous from him or come after him in the immediate aftermath. All four Miraculouses glowed brightly as the oath took effect.

Hawkmoth brought the Mayor down to the floor, but he refused to release him from his flitter until he would admit his guilt in all this. Of course the Mayor started bellowing he had no reason to feel any guilt or apologize. He demanded the police arrest Hawkmoth and start a rescue plan to save his daughter, the hope of all Paris.

Chief Roger stepped forward and looked at his fellow officers. Then he looked to the teachers, students, and everyone else gathered. With a barely perceptual nod he turned and spoke for everyone there. "No, we won't focus on your "daughter", we need to focus on helping the other half the city get to safety and figuring out how to defeat this demon."

"YOU WOULD ABANDON MY DAUGHTER IN HER TIME OF GREATEST NEED?"

"The same daughter who tormented my own for years, who stole her health little by little? Who took delight in suspending her from school? The same daughter who lied about a bracelet that caused my Akumanzation? Yes, I would abandon her to save people whose lives count, the ones she wants to kill and enslave."

One by one, classmates, teachers, shop owners, even complete strangers talked about encounters with the fifteen year old blond. Nobody had a kind word to say about her. Chloe had made people's lives miserable, stole from them, and threatened their jobs to many times. The girl had chosen her path and if she wanted to be merged forever with a demon, let it be.

What sealed the deal with the mayor was when Hawkmoth admitted he was terrified of Chloe. Her emotions were so dark and cruel, that he didn't even want an akuma near her fearing what she would do. He even tried to find people not mad at Chloe lately to avoid her.

The mayor was left to his lonesome as the rest of the people gathered together to form a plan. Judging by the sounds of claws scratching the shield, they needed to move fast.

* * *

Half an hour later, they all had a plan of action ready to do whatever they could to help save the rest of Paris. Hawkmoth would lead a small assemblage of rescue workers, medics, and some police into the other half of the city. With his empathy he could find people and direct rescue efforts to where they were needed the most. His flitter would provide as much protection as they could.

Ladybeetle's job was to track down and stop the mini demons anyway she could. The more mini demons she got rid of, the better their chances were of saving people, and getting them behind the shield. A small group of civilians armed to the teeth agreed to follow her. She remarked on their bravery and told them to be careful.

Chat Noir's mission was a scouting/distracting mission. He was to observe Chaotic, look for any weakness that could help them. Find out how strong he was and if they could turn that strength against him. If spotted, he was to act as distraction, drawing the demon's attention away, even drain him as much power as he could. He'd been very reluctant to have classmates, though they didn't know it, join him. He swore he would keep them all safe.

That left Peridot Turtle the hardest mission of them all. She had told them her mentor had left behind a magical artifact that allowed her to view his memories, aka the memory stone art piece. She needed to get to where she had hidden it and use it. Hopefully in the memories a solution would be available, one better than the one used last time. However, she couldn't have anyone accompany her. The memory art piece would only respond to her and its location had to be kept a secret.

The first step in their mission was the hardest. They had to get past the shield before they were noticed and strengthen it to protect those inside it. The rescue group would also need a way to get back in by themselves. The solution was far from simple as Peridot Turtle lead everyone into the sewer system.

She tried to ignore the complaints as she trudged through the sewers. Without the lights it was very hard going as Hawkmoth discovered his cane only produced a small amount of light. It was strange to be walking side by side the man that was abusing Nooroo. She spoke softly. "Thank you for your help, I don't know why you decided to help. I also know this truce won't last, but for now, I'm glad that you decided to help."

Hawkmoth gave the girl a half glance. This was the Great Guardian who would rescue Nooroo? She didn't look like much and perhaps it was foolish of her to risk so much to have his help. Still, there was something about this young lady that reminded him about himself. Peridot Turtle had the same tenacity he had. She was willing to stick to her goal no matter how many setbacks she faced.

He cleared his throat and told her, "Nooroo makes a compelling argument when it comes to hiding from an enemy or when to confront it. Even a Butterfly can be tough it the situation calls for it. That is the only reason I am helping you. You can be sure I will defend myself from letting you take my Miraculous."

"Fair enough, we're nearly there." Taking the lead, Peridot Turtle reached where she had been going. A huge pipe that drained the extra rain water into the river. Right now the Seine was almost equal to the pipe and it could easily flow back into the pipe.

Touching the shield she opened her mind listening to what it had to tell her "No one is out there for the moment. We can cross into the other half of the city with a good chance of not being seen."

"How do you expect us to get across the river? Not all of us can swim and we're carrying a lot of gear that could sink us," Chief Roger pointed out. The others nodded and waited for the girl to speak.

"I'm going to try something I haven't before. Something my mentor mentioned in a story once." Placing her hands on the shield, she focused all her attention on the shield. She started to imagine it stretching out, like a turtle sticking its neck out. She could feel the shield vibrating, but it refused to move. Peridot Turtle refused to give up as she begged the shield to do what she asked. She poured a bit more of her energy into it hoping it would obey her. Finally, the shield extended under the water and attached to another spill off pipe, on the other end. She dropped back with sweat forming down her face.

Ladybeetle held her still. "How long can you hold this up? An hour, two maybe?"

"I'm…pant…not…sure. I think I can maintain it as long as the rest of the shield holds. The shield should let everyone back in as long as their intentions are honorable. We need to hurry though. Chaotic is getting bored and that's not a good thing."

They all quickly crossed through the underwater tunnel and entered the other side of the sewer system. Once again the checked to make sure the area was clear before they all went topside. "Okay everyone knows their assignment?" They all nodded and Peridot Turtle gave them the signal to go.

Hawkmoth released his flitter as they flew across the city touching down and checking for signs of life. When he found a large concentration, he led the rescuers to the area where they needed to search.

Ladybeetle signaled for her group to follow her. She was traveling on foot so everyone could keep up. She reminded them to stick together and if she called a retreat, they better do as she asked.

Chat Noir gave a warning to his classmates that this wasn't the time for heroics. Their lives were at stake and he needed them to keep their eyes and ears open for anything that could help them accomplish their mission. They nodded and followed him towards the sounds of the demon's destruction.

* * *

Peridot Turtle watched them go before heading back to the sewers. She would be swimming to Master Fu's residence. Her heart pounded as she let her thoughts wonder. Chaotic, especially after merging with Chloe, taunted her and tormented her as if she had been just plain Marinette. Her biggest fear had been confirmed. He knew who she really was.

Finally, she reached the street she needed to be at. Coming out of the sewers a small squadron of mini demons appeared. " _ **Kill, kill, and kill! Destroy the girl and take her Miraculous! Eat the kwami!"**_

"You're messing with the wrong turtle," she warned them. Three of them launched themselves at her. She rolled them over her shell. Another mini demon came after her snapping its jaws at her. She punched forward knocking some teeth out.

Tails lashed out forcing her to the ground. She twisted and fought, even though she was pinned. The mini demons moved in to start eating her alive. "GET OFF OF ME!" Her charm on the carapace flashed releasing enough positive energy to send the squadron running with their tails between their legs.

Panting, she got up, and entered the building. For some reason the building hadn't suffered damage, even though the rest of the block was half demolished. She never ran that fast without tripping before as she got into the apartment and went into the master bedroom. Two minutes later she had the memory art piece.

Most of the stones had darkened after she'd witnessed the memories of the past. But there were three stones left that did have a glow. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her hand against the stones and fell into the memory.

She opened her eyes and was surprised to see she was still in the bedroom. Master Fu was on the bed sleeping. She looked at the calendar and saw that it was a month before he would die. The old man was having a nightmare.

He shot up in the bed and looked all around in fright. He fumbled on getting the light on. He picked up the ink print of his family, tears in his eyes as he cried about not saving them. He got up and started burning incense for them. "My precious Shufen, my lovely Xinyi. I should have done more to keep you safe."

The memory changed and this time she was outside her bakery. It felt very familiar and when she saw herself coming out of the bakery with the macaroons. This was the day Master Fu died!

She watched in horror as the accident, which was really murder, occurred. This time she saw Chaotic's outline as he manipulated the cosmos forcing the driver to speed up. Inside the ambulance being taken away from the last member of his family, Wayzz. Being rushed into surgery and hearing a demon laugh.

The memory changed and suddenly she was in her room sitting at her desk looking at the spirit of Master Fu reclining in her chaise. "How, what, this is not possible!"

"Everything is possible my young friend, when you believe in it. I knew I was dying and I suspected the cause behind it, even if I couldn't communicate it to Wayzz. Mere moments before I died I transferred a portion myself into the memory art piece, knowing one day you would use it." He looked very calm and peaceful despite the circumstances.

Peridot Turtle blushed and started pulling at her pigtails. She twitched a bit and kept looking at him and away. "I guess I'm not the person you hoped I be." She fingered her hair waiting for a response.

He gave her a smile and placed a phantom hand over hers. "You are everything I knew you could be." He looked at her with pride. "Xinyi and you share the same spirit, the desire to do and be more than others expect of you."

"I'm sorry about your loss."

"I have come to terms with it and I will be reunited with her soon. I stayed behind to watch over you during this critical time." She looked perplexed by this. Master Fu walked over and pulled the Miraculous Book right out of the wall and placed it in her lap.

"The answers you seek can be found in this Book, if you are brave enough to look. The Miraculous Book _chose you_ to read it, but you must extend the same trust to it, if you are to face your fears." He looked at her intensely, peering into her unique soul.

She clutched the Book tightly fearful it would disappear. Master Fu was putting his trust in her once more. Would she run away in fear and give up or would she take a risk and move forward? Her choice could either save the city or doom it. "I know what I'm going to do."

"Then go do it and know that Wayzz and I are always looking out for you." The memory ended and she found herself back in Master Fu's bedroom clutching the Miraculous Book tightly.

* * *

She gripped the Miraculous Book with all her might, making sure it was really in her hands. It was really here, summoned by a spirit through a memory. I really should start reevaluating everything I think I know. It's obvious there's more to the world than first glance she thought to herself.

Steadying her hands, she opened the Book. Once again she started flipping through the pages trying to make sense of the order this had been organized in. She was a third of the way into the book when she found a few pages stuck together. Using her fingertips, she attempt to pry the pages apart.

The Book glowed red and sparks pricked her fingers causing her to let go of the pages. Taking a deep breath, she touched the stuck pages again and started rub the pages together, hoping to create enough friction to cause the pages to come apart. Again the Book got angry with her.

"Alright, I'll stop trying to pry open the pages. Can you reveal them to me?" The Book glowed a lighter red, but it didn't respond. "Please can you show me the stuck together pages?" The Book faintly glowed, but the pages still remained stuck.

Peridot Turtle was getting both anxious and frustrated. She needed an answer. Outside she heard the shouts and screams as people were being chased by the mini demons. Glancing out the window, she let out a yelp and threw herself to the side of the bed as torrents of fire and water assaulted the building.

The building shook and things started to fall off the dresser and nightstand. She closed her eyes waiting for the fire or water to enter the building and destroy her future. After a few minutes nothing happened. Getting up she was surprised other than the few things being knocked over, the fire and water hadn't touched the building.

"What? How could this building not have suffered from those attacks?" She walked over to the window and looked out. Below her, the mini demon squad had returned and were doing everything in their power to bring down the building, but all their efforts did nothing. Fire, Water, and physical force didn't affect the building at all.

They spotted her in the window and soared into the air. Getting into a fighting stance, she got ready to protect her future investment. They would not take away what she had poured her heart and soul into all these months. "I will not let you take what was a loving gift given to me as a sign of trust!"

As she said those words the building reacted. The building vanished revealing a spirit portal hanging in the air. The mini demons tried to escape, but the pull of gravity on them was too strong as the portal sucked them up and vanished returning the building to normal. The entire experience was overwhelming and Peridot Turtle's mind could barely process what had happened. The building could turn into a portal? Where those demons gone for good? Why had it reacted to her words?

Her face scrunched up in concentration, her tongue sticking out. "I said trust. Master Fu said I needed to trust the Book to face my fear. I wonder…" she stopped talking in mid-sentence. Returning to the bed, she picked up and placed the Book on the floor as she lay down next to it. "Shell Open." Marinette touched the Book as Wayzz levitated next to her.

"My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I have many fears; I'm afraid of letting my parents down. I am afraid that I ruined Adrien's relationship with his father and that he'll reject me as his soulmate. I fear that I don't have the strength and will to be a Great Guardian. I'm afraid of the possibility of dying and dooming the city right now."

Holding her head down she admit her biggest fear. "I'm afraid of what the future will bring because I don't trust myself to make the right choices. I trust so many people, but I can't trust myself, too afraid to admit my own weakness and fearful of hurting someone." Sitting up, she laid the Book in her lap and held it tightly. "You trusted me with your secrets and now I've shared mine. I hope together, you can help me learn to trust myself."

The Book glowed blue and stuck together pages split apart. On the pages, written by past Great Guardians was everything they knew about demons, where they came from, and how to defeat them. She saw the instructions to the ritual she had witnessed. Turning the page, she saw a different ritual, one that was much stronger than what had been used before. A ritual that could save everyone and had the potential to get rid of Chaotic forever.

* * *

Back with Ladybeetle and her small group, the once shy and hesitant girl was now very bold and fierce, tackling one group of mini demons at a time. Climbing up the side of building she pushed off and landed on top of a mini demon. It thrashed and bucked, trying to get her off.

"Not going to happen! You're going down!" Clutching tightly to the midsection with her legs she got out her yo-yo. The mini demon twisted upside down, causing Ladybeetle to drop her yo-yo. It fell into the hands of another demon, who started twisting it in an attempt to break it.

 _ **"Naïve little bug! How do you expect to beat Chaotic if you can't even defeat me, in that horrendous outfit?"**_ the mini demon asked in Chloe's shrilly voice. Faster than the eye could see, the mini demon's claws slashed Ladybeetle's arms, tearing a big hole in her super suit's sleeves.

Angry, Ladybeetle poked the beast in its eyes as the mini demon roared firing a blast of fire, but the super heroine had already let go of the creature so it burned its own tail. It was such much pain it rammed into another one setting it on fire. The two creatures crashed into a broken fire hydrate that put them out of commission for a time, as two civilians moved in an attempt to kill the mini demons.

Meanwhile Ladybeetle landed on top of the mini demon that had her yo-yo. She jabbed her elbow in the creature's neck, causing it to squawk. With the other hand she snatched her yo-yo back and wrapped the string around the mini demon's neck and pulling tightly. The demon gagged as it struggled to breath. Its tail lashed out at her. She jumped on top of it pinning it to the back. As the mini demon breathed its last she jumped off and started bouncing off half destroyed buildings catching the mini demons attention.

" _ **Be careful! Ladybeetle might have set a trap! Attack in pairs and cover your partner!"**_

"I got a trap for you. How do you like Purification?" Ladybeetle asked as she flipped open her yo-yo and swung it around. There was no purifying a demon, but the light flashing blinded them as they fell on top of one another in a big heap. The small group of civilians moved in and used whatever they had to beat up, slay, or maim the mini demons before there was nothing left, but a pile of dead bodies.

"Good job Ladybeetle! We managed to get rid of the demonic spawn," The fencing instructor told the young heroine. He looked at a tablet he'd been given before joining the group. "According to this we've cleared this entire arrondissement of threats."

Ladybeetle nodded as her yo-yo started ringing. She opened it up and it took a huge amount of control not to scream when she saw Hawkmoth's face on the other end. This temporary truce had caused the weapons' phone features to all sync up. "What do you have to report Hawkmoth?"

The man's voice was very serious and to the point. "My group has managed to rescue a number of people and we are making our way back to the tunnel. However; Chaotic seems to be targeting large groups moving across the city. Can you or Chat Noir distract him so we can get to the tunnel safely?"

"I'm on it, just make sure everyone makes it to safety." She closed that line and called Chat Noir. She was lucky to catch him at a semi good moment. He and his crew had been spotted and now were hunkering down as he tried to figure out a way to get the teens to safety.

"Hey Ladybeetle, what's up besides your wing shield?" Chat Noir asked.

"No time for funny jokes. Hawkmoth is making his way back to the tunnel and needs us to cover him before Chaotic decides to rain or burn his group to death. You find any weaknesses?"

Chat Noir nodded and explained what his group had learned. Chaotic's body was almost impenetrable, but the patches of human skin weren't as strong so you could do a tiny bit of damage.

The teens had noticed that while he was very fast, strong, and unpredictable with his attacks, he would pause for about ten seconds before changing his attacks or switching directions. That big body made him intimidating, but also slowed him down.

The girls had noticed that a few things from Chloe's personality leaking through. The demon took pride in showing off his features as he attacked. Also a few high end stores had been left standing as if he couldn't bear to destroy all the expensive items inside.

The boys also picked up on something. Sometimes it seemed for a few seconds he didn't know if he wanted to challenge other males or push his weight around. He also seemed more interested in using his powers to attack groups of woman fleeing and declared them pathetic, giving them a chance to try to get away.

It was Chat Noir who noticed the most important weakness. "He's super protective of that collar around his neck. He's always defending it from harm. If he's immortal, why should he care about that piece of jewelry?"

"Peridot Turtle said that it was the collar that originally created Chaotic, that the Disastrous merged them into one being and granted him all that extra power. He didn't appear on the living plane until that collar appeared. It might be the crutch keeping all parts of him together."

"Remove the collar and he might go back to puzzle pieces! Great idea. I'm going to get his attention and see if I can get him to an open space where he can't cause any more problems."

"I'll track you and meet you. Hopefully, Peridot Turtle will meet up with us and have the information we need, to defeat him."

Chat Noir nodded already putting Nino in charge of getting his friends to safety. Ladybeetle asked the fencing teacher to do the same. Once they were reasonably sure that their groups were safe they took off ready to fight Chaotic once more.

* * *

Chaotic was flying through the air looking at the landmarks he had destroyed on this side of the shield. He growled angrily at that green shell in the distance. Right now all he wanted was to shatter it into a million pieces. He ripped his bandage off revealing his repaired skin. " _ **It appears that humans are just as dumb and predictable as they were in ages past. Soft hearts and hard heads. Even with the city mostly destroyed and hundreds dead, still they fight."**_

Chaotic's new mind eyed the shield looking for any subtle weakness to take advantage of. Chloe's memories of how to tell knock offs from real items, came in handy. His eyes narrowed as he saw a weak spot in the shield. It was a tiny spot, barely more than an inch long, where the energy was weaker. His entire body wiggled in delight.

Lowering his horn, the demon built up speed and flew across the air like a sonic jet ramming the weak spot. The shield let out a whine as the citizens in the Conciergerie let out screams as the entire building shook hard. The underwater tunnel started to flicker a bit, as the police tried to hurry everyone through the tunnel before it vanished.

Chaotic backed up and started ramming the shield over and over again. Each time the horn smashed against the shield, it started to bulk and blink. It was losing strength and would shatter very soon. He slashed the spot over and over. Tiny cracks appeared in the shield.

 _ **"I can taste your fear puny humans. I will spare only the strongest that can be of use to me. Everyone else will feed me as my reign of darkness spreads!"**_ Taking a deep breath, the jaw split in two ready to spew fire and water as the horn started gathering dark magic. All that power would destroy the shield and obliterate the Conciergerie.

A flitter of butterflies surrounded the demonic dragon. The spots of human flesh were being tickled by their tiny feet. A few even flew up the nostrils causing the beast to start to cough and sneeze. Its shimmering aura started to die away as Chaotic screamed about his hair being ruined. Nooroo's little angels were doing whatever they could to irritate the life out of this demon.

Setting fire to himself the beast roasted all the butterflies only for another flitter to continue their attack. He danced about in the sky trying to get away from annoying insects. They all scattered as they flew back to their master. Standing at the edge the closest bridge was Hawkmoth. "How does it feel being on the opposite end this time?" he coyly asked.

 _ **"YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME? I was the one who created the circumstances upon which you found the Miraculous. When I was a dark mage I use my magic to enhance your ability to hide from the Great Guardian so you could cause mayhem!"**_

"I don't appreciate being used so _you_ could take over the city. Not to mention as bad as I am, I would never go out of my way to massacre thousands of people and eat them. I'm civilized unlike you ugly brute of thing."

As soon as those words were said Hawkmoth's flitter formed a pair of wings on his back and he flew off with the demonic dragon in pursuit. He was trying to lead the creature as far away as he could from the people of Paris. He danced and dodged gracefully through the sky and even managed to camouflage a few times.

He didn't count on Chaotic's nose. He locked onto Hawkmoth's scent. With a mighty roar Chaotic raised his horn and the strongest dark magic bolt flew across the air and obliterated the flitter and electrocuted Hawkmoth. The man let out a death scream before he plunged into the mess below. _**"Finally, one Miraculous user dead, three to go. I know you're out there! Show yourselves!"**_

"OVER HERE IDIOT! COME AND GET ME!" Chat Noir yelled. He was on top of one those high end retail stores. Chaotic paused in indecision before blasting the store to bits. The black cat, ignoring the pain he still felt from earlier, ran.

Like the teens had observed, Chaotic's actions slowed a tiny bit. One second he would hesitate then show off how strong he was by using his massive body to smash things to bits. Other times he would get concerned about his mane, but slowing him down mere seconds wasn't helping. Even as Ladybeetle joined him, they just couldn't get close enough to his main weakness.

Stopping at the remains of the Eiffel Tower both teens looked each other in the eyes as they silently agreed. Chaotic shrank himself a tiny bit so he could get down and personal with him. _**"Your plan is so obvious it sheer stupidity! I killed the last Great Guardian's daughter when she tried to take my Disastrous, but go ahead and try."**_

They charged ahead, Chat Noir calling for his Cataclysm and Ladybeetle summoning a Lucky Charm, a pair of trimming shears, aiming for the demon's neck. They slid across the ground trying to get under the beast.

 _ **"DIE!"**_ A bolt of black magic connected with Chat Noir's Cataclysm. The two negative energies caused an explosion that formed a giant crater where the Eiffel Tower once stood. Chat Noir's body lay in the center. You couldn't tell if he was breathing or not.

A combo of fire and water destroyed the Lucky Charm as Chaotic used his tail to send Ladybeetle flying to the school where she crashed into her homeroom. She lay on the floor inches from spilled chemicals that could burn her at any second. She wasn't moving at all.

* * *

 _ **"That's three dead and now the last one will fall. I'm glad to see you have accepted the inevitable Peridot Turtle. Did you know I'm using my magic again to show everyone your deaths?"**_ Chaotic asked as the girl approached him slowly coming down the walkway. His body language indicated that he was ready to end her life for good.

"Hard to miss you glorifying yourself in all reflective surfaces Chaotic," she hissed. He noticed what she had wrapped something around the wrist without the Miraculous. It was the sorrow breaker pendulum.

 _ **"Stupid girl, that thing can't work on me! Even if you managed to use it in some way, I will just join back together to kill you!"**_ Seeing the girl ignoring him, both Chaotic's and Chloe's minds couldn't accept that. They threw all their magic at her. He would make her beg for death.

Peridot Turtle stood her ground, enduring the attacks. Her suit barely protecting her before she was smacked in the jaw and kicked in the knee so hard it almost shattered. She was grabbed from behind and beaten against the ground before she received a bite to her shoulder and a claw swipe missed the artery in her neck by mere millimeters.

Released, she lay on the ground, life pouring out her as the demon hung in the air above her grinning like a crazed person. _**"So much for the Great Guardian. You have failed in everything! This city will be mine, the world, the cosmos all because of you weak, dumb, little girl. I'm not surprised. You're not anything special. Even now your fellow Miraculous users are on death's door. You will die alone!"**_

"I am not ALONE!" At that exact moment her peridot charm transformed into the seven pointed star that her soul-self had given her. She felt her body healing at an accelerate rate. The demon was pushed back by the seven radiating colors as they washed over the destroyed sections of Paris. The colors bled into the shield making it stronger, more powerful.

When the colors passed over the spots where the other Miraculous wielders happened to be, they woke up feeling better, stronger, and their Kwamiis were at full strength. Any mini demons left fled from the colors and rejoined inside Chaotic making him grow bigger. The demon hissed in pain and backed away.

Inside the Conciergerie, everyone was stunned by what they were watching. They had all witnessed the power of their two heroes and the villain, but it appeared that Peridot Turtle was very unique and special. Everyone was watching in anticipation knowing that this would be the climax of the fight. Even the mayor, huddled in a corner, watched hoping that his daughter would be returned to him.

Back with Peridot Turtle, she could feel her soul growing stronger, her other selves coming in loud and clear. They were itching to help as the seven pointed star called to them. "I am not alone, you know what I am Chaotic or you wouldn't have tried to trick or kill me. I am a polypossuman, the rarest treasure in the universe!"

 _ **"You may have a rare ability to see and interact with all parts of your soul, no matter where and when they are, but you still are weak. For all your flashiness, you are alone and will die alone!"**_

"No, I won't," she replied softly. The star covered her body as the different points poured into her extremities, her heart, mind, and the center of her soul. The points created a laser beam and acted like a three dimensional printer creating the different parts of herself. As they manifest, she introduced them properly.

"The heroine of Creation and Luck, a true optimistic and sign of hope. The part of me most often seen, Ladybug!" Indeed the girl in the red body stocking grinned as her yo-yo sliced across the air. She carried herself with confidence.

"Next up is the side of me, who is about Survival and Cleverness, who breaks through the illusions we live in, Huli Jing!" Indeed the foxy version of herself played her flute creating an illusionary double, both who looked ready to play some tricks.

"My soul version of a person who cares about Community and undying Loyalty, Abeille Jaune, whose magic honey can do anything she imagines," Indeed this version of her came into existence, her top spinning around her and a yellow pouch attached to her waist. The girl was buzzing angrily.

"You already know me, the person who values Protection and Wisdom, so why don't I introduce you to someone else that's special," Peridot Turtle said with a smile on her face as she looked at the next version of herself.

"The person who understands what true Vision is and is great at Healing the sick, Belle Bleue!" Indeed, Belle Bleue was in her fighting stance, her tail feathers raised with brilliant colors while her scarf flutter as it got ready to fly. She snapped her battle fan closed ready to fight.

"I love this version of myself, the one who pours her heart into every Emotion and her Imagination, to show the world what's truly in the inside right Mariposa?" Mariposa nodded, her caplet was laying against her as she raised her cane to summon her angels.

With a final flourish, the last version of herself appeared. "You should never underestimate a person who controls Destruction and Misfortune, the wild part of my soul, Chat Noire. The black kitty purred as she twirled her baton with ease.

Chaotic was a little taken aback, but refused to be afraid. He clapped his clawed hands together, stomped his feet in the air, causing a thunderous boom, and let out a mighty roar. _ **"Very nice, you figured out how to summon your different soul selves. A rare treasure indeed, but even with six others joining you, I can still destroy you in an instant. Indeed killing seven version of yourself will make me very happy."**_

"Who says I'm done summoning?" Peridot Turtle asked coyly. Indeed all the other versions of herself had smiles on their faces and were looking across the walkway to Chat Noir, who had finally pulled himself out of the crater. Judging by his expression he couldn't suppress the love and joy of seeing all of them.

In a gentle voice, she explain that someone once told her that no matter what path she walked, her heart belonged to one person, who always stood by her side. Her soulmate who saw all sides of her. Her love for him made him a _Two_ , a person able to see and interact with all parts his soul because of their bond.

A little shocked and confused, Chat Noir watched in disbelief as the second seven pointed star replaced his bell. He too felt parts of his soul stirring and suddenly the other six were right there in a line next to him. He looked very pleased at what he saw.

Conchillian body suit showed off his muscles as his cape draped around him making him look very impressive. Next to him, Malin was making his hair as wild and crazy as he could screaming joy at the chance to fight. Bumblebee shook his head at the Fox's actions before narrowing his eyes behind the goggles at the demon.

Gui Chel tugged a bit at his uniform, trying to make himself comfortable for the battle ahead. Teal Peacock called out the other versions saying that his feathers were artificial so there was no chance of an allergy attack during the fight. Ombre had his cane ready as his delicate wings started fluttering.

Fourteen Miraculous users. Seven girls and seven boys. Each version powerful in their own special way. There were a lot of combos they could come up with to fight Chaotic. The demon felt a tinge of fear that was quickly washed away by Chloe's mind pointing out that if they killed the two original ones the others would disappear.

 _ **"You may have increased your numbers and think you have the advantage but you don't. I know all your powers and your weapons capabilities. You other soul selves won't be able to exist very long and all it takes to wipe them out is to injure the real two so badly the rest of you disappear and I can finally be finished with you. Be gone!"**_

Bolts of dark magic struck the ground over and over again as the fourteen individuals took off. Somehow they all managed to avoid being hit. The Miraculous magic must be working overtime to protect them from the demons wraith. Chaotic landed and shrunk until he was eight feet tall in his hybrid form. Thirteen mini demons appeared as well. Each looked ready to kill.

"Find your partner and take a pair down!" shouted Ladybug. She ran and jumped over two mini demons, did a mid-air summersault and touched down next to Chat Noir. She whispered to him, "I'm not your partner this time, go help Peridot Turtle. I'll work with Gui Chel." He nodded and took off as he maneuvered around as the other versions covered his butt.

Within five minutes all fourteen had paired up with their partners. Ladybug with Gui Chell. Huli Jing stood by Bumblebee. Abeille Jaune leaned against Malin who as trying to mess up her bun. Belle Bleue was holding her hand tightly in Ombre's. Mariposa hung behind Teal Peacock who moved in front of her. Chat Noire had a paw covered hand on Conchillian's shoulder. Lastly, Peridot Turtle and Chat Noir had the same look of determination on their face.

 _ **"You want a final battle? Fine I'll give you a final battle, complete with lights and music!"**_ Chaotic bellowed. Suddenly there were lots of light properly lighting the area so for the first time everyone could see reasonably well.

Next from out of nowhere music started playing. It was an old song by some band called Dream Evil, titled, "The Chosen Ones". A song about heroes walking into a bloody battle to slay dragons. _**"Happy? Good because I am ready to win this!"**_ They all launched into battle ready to fight to the end.

* * *

Two mini demons lunged at Mariposa and Teal Peacock, but they were already moving. Mariposa ran a short distance, before turning around and bashing the mini demon's face in with her cane. It hadn't been expecting a Butterfly to attack directly. It wasn't in their nature.

Teal Peacock let himself be caught by his mini demon by the tail feathers. One detached itself embedding into the creature's chest. Folding his tail feathers, he took off running and hurled himself over Mariposa's mini demon landing in front of her. His tail fan spread out once more to protect the both of them.

Both mini demons were extremely angry by their injuries. They growled as they circled the pair tightly before attacking from each side, hoping to get the two partner's to split apart. The partners held their ground using their weapons to block the claws. Those evil creatures started to charge up an attack. Without a word the two partners knew what to do.

Mariposa covered her ears and dropped to the ground, as Teal Peacock activate his Miraculouses _defensive power._ "Raging Call!" His throat glowed blue as his the feathers on his head stiffened. He opened his mouth letting out a sonic squawk, twirling around like a ballerina. The force of the call broke the mini demons ear drums disorienting them for a few seconds as they tried to figure out what had happened.

Chaotic, in all the years he'd been sealed away, seemed to have forgotten the Miraculouses had both offensive and defensive powers along with special abilities that came along with each one. Those little things, such as misfortune or foresight? Those were special abilities that Miraculous users could tap into when they needed an extra boost. That's what Peridot Turtle's lessons had really been about. Controlling their special abilities.

"Good job, but it won't keep them down for long. Time to find a Champion," Mariposa told them. Her empathy had picked up on one individual hiding on the edge of the fighting, a person who stayed behind to see if she could do something to help her old friend.

Sabrina was surprised when a white butterfly landed delicately on her finger. A gentle voice was heard inside her mind. _"Hello Sabrina, my name is Mariposa. I felt your desire to help Chloe, even knowing the truth of what she's done."_

" _There is still a flicker of humanity inside her. I have to try and save her so she can reclaim her humanity."_

" _A noble goal, my angel can transform you into a Champion to help. Do you wish to become one?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Then come forth Animal Princess!"_ Sabrina let the little angel melt into her gold chain necklace. A warm feeling washed over her. She felts her body changing becoming lithe yet strong. Her clothes turned into wood, flowers, and grass making her look like a princes of the forest. When it was finished all she had to do was let out a whistle and the animals of Paris arrived to aid her. "My friends, let us restore our beautiful home."

While Animal Princess was helping out Mariposa and Teal Peacock, Huli Jing was playing a tune creating illusion of a hall of mirrors. She ran inside leading the mini demons through the maze.

" _ **We can see through your illusionary tricks fox! You can't fool us!"**_

" _ **Neither will we let ourselves be stung by a bumbling fool!"**_

Huli Jing ignored them as she started running on all fours with her flute attached to her back. Getting enough speed, she jumped up on a mirror and landed on a different path and took off running again. She kept repeating the process letting the mini demons break the illusions until the whole thing was gone and she was just standing there leaning against her flute. "I guess you two are smarter than I gave you credit for. Come and get me," she teased them.

One mini demon stepped forward, its claw tips crackling with dark magic when the other one stopped it. _**"Halt, this fox smells like an illusion, another creation of the trickster. More importantly, where is the boy?"**_

"Oh, I'm real and you stepped right into my clever trap. Now!" Bumblebee emerged behind them, he'd been hiding in a second layer of the illusion of the mirror maze. He whipped his body around stinging both while yelling, "Honeycomb!"

The mini demons were shocked as from the stings, honeycombs formed around them. They blasted and snapped as the honeycombs started grow an alarming speed. Even when the honeycombs sealed shut cracks were already forming in them. "You better have some trick up your flute right about now or were in buzz trouble."

"Relax, illusions are only my special ability remember?" Huli Jing reminded her partner. She twirled the flute around as she shouted her offensive power, "Spirit Guides!" From the ends of the flute two orange/white flames appeared before turning into two spirit foxes. "Attack!" she commanded them as the mini demons broke free.

The two spirit foxes did as they were commanded. Both sank into the ground and came back up and bit the tails of the demons. Bolts of magic shot out as Huli Jing and Bumblebee jumped into the fray.

Chat Noire hissed in displeasure as the mini demons tried to drown her like the mangy alley cat she was, no doubt that insult came from Chloe's brain, as she struggled to get up. She was going to make sure that Chaotic got what was coming his way.

Conchillian started spinning his yo-yo at incredible speeds splitting the water in half. He yawned in boredom. "I thought demons would prove to be more interesting and dangerous than an Akuma. You're not even half the trouble, the Tour Guide of Doom that we faced last week, was."

" _ **Want to bet you smelly insect?"**_ One of the mini demon's asked. In a blink of an eye it was on top of Conchillian. They wrestled around the ground rolling towards the crater. The mini demon kneed him in the balls, causing the boy version of the heroine to let out a scream, "Warning Spots!"

All the spots on Conchilian's body suit came off and started bombarding the mini demon like mini hockey pucks. They didn't hurt too much seeing as the demon had thick skin. In fact, one little puff of fire was all it took to destroy them. In doing so, its attention strayed for a moment, giving Conchillian a chance to flick his yo-yo at the underside base of the tail, causing the mini demon to let go.

He whirled his cape in front of him as the creature blasted fire at him. The cape was taking a lot of damage when he sensed Chat Noire ready to use her defense move now that she was back on her feet.

"Feline Bluff!" That mini demon stopped spewing water and got a terrified look on its face. The power made Chat Noire literally fluff up twice her size complete with a cat shape shadow. She let out a hiss and batted the demon directly at the crater.

Conchillian did a sideway cartwheel, winching as his legs got burned slightly as one mini demon rammed into the other. They fell into the crater growling and yelling at one another. "Thank you my lovely kitten."

"You're welcome my lucky boy. Come on let's make sure the jobs finished." Hand in hand they jumped into the crater to make sure the mini demons stayed down.

Two sets of partners had been driven into the same area as the four mini demons launched a combined magical attack. Weapons flashed blocking the attacks. The attack continued pushing them further away from the others as the four nearly stumbled over a grass median.

" _ **Keep up the attack! I call dibs on the turtle stew!"**_

" _ **I want a ladybug leg!"**_

" _ **I'll eat the bee's head with a side of honey!"**_

" _ **You think fox guts are tasty?"**_

Abeille Jaune wanted to puke hearing those words. Reaching into her pouch she took out some honey and molded it into balls of yarn. She floated into the sky and tossed the yarn. Two of the mini demons ran after the yarn while the other two yelled at them giving the group of four a chance to reclaim ground.

"What's the plan? I mean we do have a plan right?" Abeille Jaune asked looking at Gui Chel and Ladybug. Her partner Malin gave her a sweet smile that promised he protect her forever. They all looked at her, waiting to hear her plan. "We need a plan now!"

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the mini demons coming back. She flicked her wrist letting the battle top loose. It spun away fast, cutting into the ground and sending dirt flying. It nailed one of the mini demon's right in the mouth, spinning around so fast it drilled straight through the tongue, teeth, and lower jaw before coming back to her.

The mini demon shot off like a mini rocket snatching the bee girl off the ground and dragged her towards the top of the sphere determined to drop her to her death. _**"Yu il py for ruinnnnnnnnnnnng mmmooo!"**_

"Put it on my tab Chaotic. Swarm!" A huge swarm of bees appeared from her hair comb. They dove inside the mini demon's mouth and started killing the creature from the inside out. Abeille Jaune lifted her head and bit down on the scaly hands. In combination, with the stinging inside the mini demon, it dropped her before exploding.

She was falling too fast to even try using her wings, which really were more for hovering than flying, to save herself. Another mini demon was coming her way. Its back legs shot out in front and grabbed her in midair and crushed her to death! Roaring in triumphant, the mini demon reached down to get a piece to eat only there was nothing there.

Malin laughed as he landed on top of the mini demon's head. "You've turned into a really dumb blond Chaotic. I used False Trail on you!" False Trail created a solid clone of the fox wielder making the enemy think they've captured their target, while the real wielder got away. Bringing the flute to his lips he played a song of forever sleep. The mini demon struggled, but by the time it hit the ground, it was snoring away. It kept snoring until it vanished, returning its essence to Chaotic.

Gui Chel was using his special ability to pour positive spiritual energy into the mini demon that attacked him causing it to spontaneously combust. Whipping around he called out, "Shell Guard," forming a bubble shield to secure the last mini demon. This really wasn't the time to use Hibernation and Shell Guard worked well for both offense and defense. "Ladybug, would you like the honors?"

"My you are ever the gentlemen Gui Chel," Ladybug told him as she kissed him on the cheek. She strolled over to the bubble, ignoring the mini demon's threats as it tried to get out. Taking out a push pin, the Lucky Charm she summoned earlier, she literally popped the bubble. They watched the bubble zigzag across the sky before smashing into the top of the sphere and the demon vanishing.

The four of them were so busy congratulating one another they didn't notice a pair of mini demons fuse into one. The bigger mini demon stalked close and was ready to pounce on Ladybug when a voice called out, "Chrysalis!"

Ombre looked very pleased that he managed to use his power in time. Chrysalis created a clear, yet strong, sack around a person keeping them safe for a short time period. "Belle Bleue, your turn!"

"Time for you to see the light," Belle Bleue shouted as she snapped open her battle fan and brought it up to her shoulder. It started to sparkle with light as she swung it forward shouting, "Regal Shimmer!"

A combination of light and wind assaulted the mini demon. It screamed in pain losing control of all its magic sending its powers in every direction. Quickly, Gui Chell swung his meteor hammer, and broke the creature's neck, ending its pain. "Thanks for the assist my friends."

"No problem, it was our demon to deal with. Ombre, what do sense about the situation?"

The boy closed his eyes and reached out with his senses. The pairs had all finished off the mini demons, but right now Peridot Turtle and Chat Noir were struggling against Chaotic. Reading Peridot's emotions he knew what she wanted them to do. "We need to go help the original pair now otherwise the ritual to end this won't work." The other pairs nodded and ran as fast as they could to end this fight.

* * *

After easily dispatching the mini demon, with a bit of misfortune, (making it trip and be reabsorbed into Chaotic), the unusual pair dodged about. Chat Noir was a little slower due to his earlier injuries not completely healing and Peridot Turtle was trying her hardest to get in close without being captured in the same way as Ao had been so long ago.

"Chat Noir watch out!" Peridot Turtle yelled as Chaotic's tail slammed on the ground where he had been only seconds ago. Chaotic swung his horn around as he impaled her through her shell. The horn went straight through it and nearly pierced her spine.

Chaotic lifted his head and shook it back and forth. The shell began to crack even more. The young Great Guardian was starting to slip down the horn, her spine mere millimeters from being severed.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Chat Noir shouted as he loped over and jumped only to be caught in a cosmic energy field. He started to scream and his limbs started to twist in unnatural ways. His insides felt as if they were on fire. The finger with his Miraculous on it, was being pulled on so hard it was about to snap off.

" _ **At last! You two will die and with your blood I will ensure no Miraculous user can ever defeat me! Goodbye Chat Noir and Peridot Turtle. Being a**_ _One_ _ **and a**_ _Two_ _ **didn't help at all."**_

Out of nowhere, Ladybeetle appeared and in her hands was a brand new Lucky Charm, a diamond tip battery operated cast saw. It was already whirring as she swung her yo-yo and it wrapped around the base of the horn. Once she was on his head she started to cut away at the horn as he tried to grab her. She ducked and slid down the demon's forehead as she continued to cut. The horn was halfway off. She just needed a few more seconds. Chaotic was getting angrier by the second.

Chaotic was about to rip to shreds that pesky Ladybeetle when his claws when someone zipped past him, grabbed Chat Noir out of the cosmic energy field and landed a few feet away. Chat Noir took several deep breaths as he assessed his body's condition. He couldn't believe what he saw.

It was Hawkmoth, but he looked vastly different. Instead of a purple suit, he wore white and gold body armor. He carried a sword instead of a cane, and his mask had changed into a helmet. Sprouting from his back was a pair of angel wings. He was an avenging angel!

 _ **"Are you mad? Using your Miraculous to make yourself a Champion is suicide! The cost of using your Miraculous like that is oh does that mean you've finally accepted you're going to die today along with your cursed kwami?"**_

Hawkmoth's mouth thinned as he looked at his foe, raising his sword. He didn't plan to die today and Nooroo was certain that under these circumstances was sure the curse of using the Miraculous on himself, wouldn't take hold. He flew on his angel wings aiming for the Disastrous. Chaotic flew out of the way and twisted about coming at the Champion version of the villain. The man brought up his sword and looped around the creature cutting some of the mane off. A cosmic energy field surrounded him as he sliced down splitting it apart.

At that moment; Ladybeetle finally finished cutting the horn off. It simply fell to the ground as she leaped over, pulled Peridot Turtle of it, and got her to the ground, just in time to watch the horn shatter into millions of pieces.

 _ **"My glorious horn!"**_ the demon shrieked as he set the sky on fire! He summoned a downpour of rain causing the water levels to rise all over. The river swelled and beat against shield protecting the population. The force was so strong many people were getting ready to evacuate from the Conciergerie.

Before Chaotic could recover his wits Hawkmoth struck. Pouring everything he had he thrusted his sword into Chaotic, piercing a small patch of human skin near the base of the neck and causing blood to spill. Hawkmoth moved out of the way quickly as a whole flock of pigeons carrying rats dive bombed the demon.

The rats attacked the collar trying to bite through the metal and break it off. The pigeons started pecking at his eyes. Down below, Animal Princess was giving encouraging advice to her little friends as she tried to figure out how to get all the strays into the air to help.

 _ **"I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!"**_ Chaotic bellowed loudly as the animals died after having their brains explode from being too close. The magical lights vanished, the music grinded to a halt. The sphere sizzled as the darkness grew tightly around the city. Everyone noticed when the floating city dropped a few feet in the sky.

" _ **I AM THE IMMORTAL ALL POWERFUL DEMON CHAOTIC! I AM THE BRINGER OF DISASTERS, THE KILLER OF MIRACULOUS USERS AND EMPEROR OF THIS CITY! YOU HUMANS SHOULD BE COWERING IN FEAR WONDERING IF I WILL EAT YOU OR MAKE YOU MY SLAVES! I'M GOING TO OBLITERATE YOU PERIDOT TURTLE AND SEND YOUR SOUL TO HELL!"**_

* * *

Getting to her feet, Peridot Turtle glared at him. Chat Noir managed to stand next to her as behind them stood Ladybeetle, Hawkmoth, and of course, Animal Princess. When she saw the other soul selves taking position she knew it was time to end this.

"You won't be hurting anyone anymore Chaotic. I will get justice today for Ao and his family!" She pulled off her seven pointed star and threw it high in the air. Chat Noir took his off and sent it spinning on the ground. The two seven pointed stars lined up and quickly formed a cage of light with the demonic dragon inside it.

Chaotic was startled as he tried to escape, but the top of the cage started pressing down on him forcing him to shrink as the bottom part narrowed a little. At each point there stood a pair of Miraculous users ready to help. As the original pair took their place, Peridot Turtle started to swing around the sorrow breaker building up speed.

Next to her, Chat Noir instinctively knew what to do. This ritual was known as Universal Judgment. Inside the cage, Chaotic was being judged for everything he ever did, including when he was three different individuals. As the cage narrowed it was up to the Miraculous users to assist in carrying out that justice.

"Alright men, let's give it all we got!" Each of the boys raised both their hands as their Miraculouses started to glow. Out of their palms came colorful magical energy connected to different parts of Chaotic's body and started to drain him of his power.

" _ **No, you can't beat me! I won't let you take any of my magic!"**_ Chaotic shouted as thrashed about trying to stop the boys.

Outside, Peridot Turtle informed the little group, they would have to act fast if they were to complete the next part of the ritual. On her command, Hawkmoth used his sword to make a small opening in the cage. The trio of girls ran into the cage. Chaotic was low enough in the cage for Ladybeetle to wrap her yo-yo around the demon's head and pull it upward exposing his neck.

Despite the pain, Peridot Turtle jumped, and struck the demon on that tiny bloody piece of human skin, with the sorrow breaker. The magic began to work instantly as the human parts of Chaotic started to break apart.

Chaotic couldn't stop what happened next. He was shrinking even more as he felt his mind loose the extra intelligence. The blond hairs from his mane vanished as well as the patches of human skin. The gold color vanished from the claws. The feminine parts of the demon turned back to masculine.

In a flash, Chloe's body fell out of the demon's and was caught by Animal Princess's animals. The choker fell to the ground as Peridot Turtle snatched it up, the little group managed to get out just before the hole closed.

The trio of Miraculous users struck the Disastrous with their weapons and it started to crack. Animal Princess ordered her dogs to bite the evil jewelry in half. Finally, with their combined efforts, it was destroyed as the dark magic was released.

Chaotic screamed in frustration as he struggled to keep himself together. He could feel the three parts trying to drift away and he wouldn't let that happen. _**"I'm immortal! I can't die!"**_

"Not anymore, girls do it!" Peridot Turtle yelled out. The different versions of the turtle heroine's soul turned and aimed their Miraculouses at Chloe's prone body. Their magical energy poured into Chloe. The magic removed all her dark magic and replaced her demon DNA with human. On the ground Chloe's body started to breath on its own once more.

Returning their attention to the demon in the cage, each partner took the others hands as the Miraculous energy flowed between all fourteen of them. The cage shrank and shrank as Chaotic started to lose his cohesion. Finally, he could hold it no longer and returned to three pieces. The magical energy shrank those three parts until the demon returned to two individuals, Keung and Gong-Gong respectfully.

The top of the cage and the bottom connected together squishing the two flat. The Miraculous energy took over as Keung's soul was sent to where it belonged and the old god was erased from existence. The threat was over!

Still holding hands, the fourteen Miraculous users, combined their power together and returned Paris to where it belonged on the ground. Magic swept across the city restoring it to normal. The lives that had been lost, were wrapped in French flags with name tags for burial later. Injuries caused by the demon healed in a few seconds. All the dark magic had vanished.

The different parts of the two individuals' souls were reabsorbed into the originals. Hawkmoth returned to normal. He nodded towards the heroes then took off before he his transformation gave out. Ladybeetle, after checking to make sure Sabrina was alright after returning to normal, also left before her transformation dropped. It was finally over, the demon Chaotic was no more and Paris was free once again.


	10. Secrets now Truth

**This is the final chapter in this amazing fanfic. I'm very proud of where I've taken this story. At the same time I'm also amazed I was the first person on this fandom to write a story with Marinette having the Turtle Miraculous. I always thought a different author, someone I greatly admire, imthepunchlord, would beat me to this. I thank her for letting me borrow the names she had for other Miraculous forms of our two top heroes. To answer a question I know many of you had, I will think about writing a sequel in the future, but for now I'm looking forward to season two of the show. No spoilers please! Than you everyone who has read and review this story. You have made me feel really good about myself.**

* * *

Even though the demon Chaotic had been defeated, and Paris was back to normal, no one felt like celebrating much. Not after Paris's population of 12,005,077 plummeted to 11,714,577. That was a total loss of 290,500 hundred people who had died during the long night. Many people had been killed by falling debris, injuries sustained before the massive healing, others killed by mini demons. In all, the city was in a somber mood.

Three days after the attack, the entire city shut down as everyone put on their best mourning outfits and walked to the restored Eiffel Tower, filling the entire area, parks and hundreds of people lining the sidewalks. Today a massive memorial service was taking place to honor those who had died, and thanking everyone who helped save the day. Chat Noir, Ladybeetle, and Peridot Turtle had been offered a chance to speak, but all three declined stating that they preferred to be in the crowd of mourners.

The newly instated Mayor Anne Hidalgo, (current real mayor of Paris), was standing on a podium with the rest of the council sitting behind her. Mayor Bourgeois had been stripped of his position and was under house arrest until charges could be brought up against him.

What charges those would be was still a guess. Exactly how do you charge a man for raising a she demon, being a very poor parent, and who still was a bit in denial of what had transpired? Most likely he would be charged with bribery, misuse of public funds, also abuse of powers bestowed to the mayor; maybe even political corruption and obstructing justice. It wasn't very clear, but one thing would be certain, he would be paying for his crimes for a long time.

Speaking of crimes, charges were being brought up on Chloe, ranging from making threats to intent of murder, many had wanted to charge her with mass murder, but technically at the time it was the demon, not Chloe herself, who caused the murders. At the moment, Chloe's comatose body was in the ICU, being heavily monitored by doctors and security. No one knew what to expect when she woke up despite the heroes saying they cleansed her of any magic and demonic DNA.

* * *

Back to the memorial service, the city of Paris felt a giant funeral would be too much for the peoples' broken hearts and poorly reflected the dead. So despite that most of the dead were semi intact, and it would take practically all day to finish, the newly appointed Mayor was going to do her duty to help start the mourning process. A memorial service was the perfect start to this plan.

Surviving family members, friends, and public servants carried the bodies. They were once more wrapped in the flags, after loved ones had a chance to say their goodbyes. before they were marched through the city streets. Even pets were being honored for many had died trying to save their owners. All the TV studios were covering the massive memorial, stopping different people and asking them to share their memories of the deceased.

Nadja, was trying to keep it together. She knew many of the people that had died because of her job. In fact, one of the dead was her longtime friend and coworker, Alec Cataldi. He died along with several other people when the TVI building had crashed. He'd been so busy helping other get out, he didn't have enough time to escape himself.

"Hello viewers. Today marks the start of the healing process in Paris. Three days ago our city was nearly destroyed and its citizens enslaved by the demonic dragon Chaotic. We have many people to thank for their efforts that helped saved us that day, but right now is a time to remember those who have passed on."

She walked into the street and stopped the pallbearers carrying Alec's body. His parents and two coworkers all looked very grim. "I know this must be a tough day for you. Mr. and Mrs. Cataldi. I know its little comfort knowing your son died helping others when you wish he was still alive. Do you have any memories you wish to share?"

"Alec wanted to be in the media industry since he could walk. He loved being the star of our many home movies. His favorite game growing up was designing game shows and then acting as the host," his mom told the camera, a sad smile on her face. She was distraught by the loss of her only child, yet she didn't want to break down in public.

"He wasn't the most sensitive person, which is probably why his romantic relationships didn't last long. My boy was very enthusiastic and that sometimes caused trouble," his father shared with everyone. You could see despite the circumstances of the event, he was pleased his son wouldn't be forgotten.

The two coworkers insisted that Nadja share her memories of Alec. She fiddled with her mike for a moment and lost her calm expression. Tears freely poured down her face as she recalled a particular memory. Her cameraman started to lower the camera when she shook her head telling him she was ready.

"Alec Cataldi was the kindest, fun loving, and very professional TV host I ever had the pleasure of working with. He helped me feel better after broadcasting sad news segments and he made me laugh when I was having a hard day. When my little girl Manon, was Akumatized, he kept me from rushing to save her.

At first I was angry, how dare he keep me from my child? Later I had to thank him. I had no idea what would have happened if I had tried to talk her down or disciplined her. He was very courageous in the end and I know he'll be greatly missed." The camera cut and Nadja turned to the wrapped body of her friend and laid her hand down on him. "Au revoir mon ami,"

* * *

The procession continued through the streets as many more stories were told and the people on the sidewalks were asked if this was helping them and everyone agreed it was a good start in dealing with their pain. Many hoped that the Miraculous heroes were also starting to heal from the ordeal they went through to stop Chaotic.

Hidden among the crowd, the civilian forms of all of the Miraculous wielders, watched the procession in silence. Yes, even Hawkmoth was in the crowd somewhere, voluntarily being there without being prompted by Nooroo. This much death and destruction weighed heavy on his soul and it would be a good while before he tried to make an akuma again. Everyone deserved to mourn in peace and not become a monster because of it.

Mireille and her family stood on the sidewalk near the Eiffel Tower. She watched the bodies being carried trying her best to learn as much as she could about the individuals who had passed, so she could make a scrapbook later to remind her that every victory had a cost. The loss of, so many lives and nearly being killed a dozen times, made her realize how much stronger she needed to be in the future.

Tikki hid in her wielder's pocket, peeking out as she watched quietly. The little god was very depressed. Once again, evil had reared its ugly head, one that past wielders had defeat before, who should have never come back. If only she had been stronger the first time, this tragedy might not have occurred. She knew that blaming herself wasn't going to change anything so she tried to look to a positive future.

Adrien leaned against his father as they stood near the stage. Even after being magically restored to perfect health, having different parts of your soul come to life and dealing with the echoes of their memories, had made him very exhausted. He was trying to stay awake knowing how important this was.

"Here, this should help you stay awake until the end," Mr. Agreste told him as he slipped the boy an energy bar. The last three days father and son had been tiptoeing around each other. Both wanted to talk to the other, but at the same time, they wanted to give each other their respective space until they felt ready to do so.

Plagg was very quiet and could barely look out of Adrien's pocket. As the kwami of Destruction and Mischief, he was very familiar with death. He had thanked whatever deity there was for allowing Adrien to live despite the odds against him. He also prayed for Adrien and his father to bond together once more as a family. Despite Mr. Agreste knowing he was there, the little cat god hid all the time, not ready to meet with the man who had kept Duusu a prisoner for so many years, and abandon his kitten, when he was needed the most.

Marinette stood next to her parents at the opposite end from Adrien. Right now, she was dealing with what could be considered her greatest triumphant or worst failure as Great Guardian. She had survived a demon attack and even managed to destroy him, but like Master Fu, the guilt of having so many die weighed heavily on her.

She felt the need to atone for this somehow, but she didn't know what to do when there were literally thousands of people dead. Nothing could make this right no matter what she did do. As she watched the last few memories of the departed playing on the giant TV, she wondered how she would move forward.

Wayzz was also there and his heart went out to everyone gathered. He'd been so upset and grieving for Master Fu for a long time, that he had forgotten others also felt it. The people of the city were grief stricken, confused, and above all angry. Many couldn't understand how such a thing could come to pass. While some blamed the heroes for attracting this demon or not stopping Chaotic sooner, a huge amount of anger was being directed to the Bourgeois family.

So many lives destroyed, an entire family left in ruins because of Chaotic's attachment to them. They all made their choices, but some might not have gravitated to such evil without his underlying influence. Poor Marinette, I have to help more than ever. She needs me to be her rock in the middle of this storm.

* * *

As soon as the last interview was finished everyone stood still as a band started to play France's national song, "La Marseillaise". The song was written in 1792 and three years later it adopted as the national anthem. It was a revolutionary style song, calling on patriotic duty for all citizens and exhortation to fight against tyranny and foreign invasion. To make sure France was forever free. On this day the song took on a very specific meaning to the people of Paris.

As the song finished, everyone turned their attention to Mayor Hidalgo, who stood up on the podium. She had a calm expression on her face and when she spoke it was with a clear, compassionate, understanding voice. "Citizens of Paris, today we have gathered together once more to mourn the loss of thousands of souls who died three days ago during, what has to be most dangerous invasion our fair city, has seen over the centuries.

Throughout the centuries, Paris has been the site of many terrible tragedies. The city has been through revolutions, plagues, and even Nazi Occupation. We have survived terrorist attacks, major disasters, and most recently we've seen that what once was dismissed as fantasy and make believe, are very real threats and that we can still survive them. There is magic the world, there is another dimension filled with different paranormal beings, and there are heroes and villains who fight for reasons beyond our comprehension.

While the past travesties have dealt us a huge blow, scarring us on the inside an out, we have grown stronger after each event. No matter how much darkness, death, and fear, the people of Paris came together. We helped rebuild this beautiful city dozens of times, showing how much we appreciate it. Already many local business and several individuals have come to the City Hall with ideas on how to help those affected the worst during this tragedy."

Mayor Hidalgo took a sip of water and continued her speech. "I know that right now my words can't erase your pain. I can't tell you something like this will never happen again. As much as everyone gathered here wants, there is no way to bring back the dead. There is no quick fix to feeling better. Many of you will carry this anger like a disease for many years or might even never heal completely.

I myself am still looking for answers. To try and make sense of what happened here and how do I and all of you move on. Those questions can only be answered in your own time, but don't forget to reach out for help if you need it or be there for others when they need it."

After her opening words she asked everyone to observe ten minutes of silence to honor the dead. Not even a single pigeon cooed. Once the moment of silence was observed, the Mayor and the council announced the construction of a Memorial Wall that would contain the names of everyone who had passed on. People could leave gifts, flowers, even pictures. The project wouldn't be finished for at least six months and the people of Paris looked forward to the day where their loved ones names wouldn't be forgotten.

The service continued though out the day. There were readings from different religious leaders that helped ease many families troubled minds and Marinette secretly felt the change in the spiritual energy around the tower, meaning many of the souls that were lingering around had found some peace.

There was a few minutes of celebration as certain citizens were honored for their actions during the crises. Mireille stumbled on to the stage as she was given a Citizens Reward for Courage, for her actions on the radio. It felt really good to be honored for doing something as herself.

After sending candles in little boats down the Siene, to have a floating candle watch for all the living, it was time for the burial. Due to limit space and most of the cemeteries were practically filled, it had been decided that those who perished would become to be the new "backbone" for the city so to speak. Families were given a choice and most of them chose to let their loved ones be placed in the catacombs so they would be close and still within their home for generations to come.

Mayor Hidalgo ended the service with some inspiring quote. After the service ended, the crowds dispersed to different restaurants', cafes, or other eateries for the reception. There was plenty of free food and drinks. People gathered together with family, friends, and in some cases strangers drawing comfort from one another. The long day of mourning had started the night of healing.

* * *

Two days later Marinette found herself laying in her bed apathetically. Her parents had left her alone; letting her sort through her thoughts until she was ready to talk. She hadn't gotten in touch with the other Miraculous wielders yet and school would be resuming at the start of next week.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Wayzz asked hesitantly. He was lying next to her on the bed. He reached out to touch her and she flinched away, then looked apologetic for shying away from him. "I'm here to listen to you and help you whenever you need it."

"How can you help me after what happened? I did my best and it wasn't good enough. No one should have died. The magic may have restored the city to normal, but even the buildings still show some scars from where they destroyed, despite the magic. I let everyone down. I let you and Master Fu down." the bluenette told her kwami. She looked at her Miraculous wondering if she should give it to someone more worthy.

"No, don't even think about it," Wayzz told her sternly knowing what she was thinking. He crawled over to her and pressed his body against her cheek doing his best to comfort her. "Despite what you and a majority of the world believes, Miraculous wielders are not all powerful, immortal, and perfect.

You're a human Marinette, a mortal girl who did her best. I'm a kwami, a little god, a tiny being of magic. Even together we can't always ensure that everything will end well. You've been reading and learning about past Miraculous users remember? Did all of them have happy endings?"

Marinette shook her head. Miraculous wielders all struggled and none of them had a perfect run. Many had given their lives for the cause, others suffered debilitating injuries, and a lot of them had lost important people to them.

Wayzz smiled at her. "Nothing is guaranteed in life Marinette, not even how we die. All we can do is our best and hope that it's enough. Besides, you did what no one else could ever do." He gave her the biggest smile he could as he listed her accomplishments.

"You got the Miraculous Book to trust you enough that its secrets are yours to learn at your own pace. You found a way to stop Chaotic forever. You're a _One_ , a polypossuman, the rarest treasure ever. You made Adrien a _Two!_ That's practically impossible most of the time. Not mentioning summoning all the different parts of both his and your souls!"

"I did. I also talked with Master Fu in a memory created seconds before he died and it's nice to know he's watching over me. I kept a shield up and manipulated it even when I wasn't transformed. I got an enemy to help us just once!" She said excitedly, realizing that she had done a lot more than she had originally thought.

It was true she had accomplished much, but she still felt like she owed the city something. Ladybeetle and Chat Noir had also earned the right to learn her identity. Adrien deserved to know that she was his soulmate and that loved him more than anything else in the world. Mireille needed to hear that out of all the other candidates, she had been the most worthy of the earrings.

I can atone for this by donating half of one of my many bank accounts to help victims of this travesty. I'll bring them baked goods, make clothes or crafts for them. When the store opens I'll give them a free massage session. There is a lot I can do and through this, I'll also start to heal she thought to herself.

"Wayzz," Marinette said softly. The turtle kwami looked at her wondering what she wanted. Suddenly she grabbed him in a tight hug thanking him for everything he had done for her.

"You're welcome. I promise to help you through this and any other challenges you have to face. There are still many adventures ahead. We still have to rescue Nooroo. Once we stop Hawkmoth, other dangers might pop up."

"If they do, I'll handle them that is after you get a good long rest!" she said poking him in the stomach. She headed downstairs and found her parents in the bakery, making extra bread to donate. "Hi, can I help?"

"You sure you're up for this Marinette? If you need more time to yourself…" Sabine started to tell her daughter when she interrupted.

"Mama, I don't think I'm fine right now. I don't think you or Papa are either. Together though, I think we can start healing on our own. I would like to open about how I feel."

Her parents looked relieved. They also wanted to start talking about how the recent events effected them. So together the family started to bake some bread and Marinette started to talk about her feelings of helplessness, fear, and uncertainty of the future.

* * *

It was the night before school started again. Peridot Turtle had called Ladybeetle and Chat Noir to meet her on the roof of Notre Dame to talk about their future and to reveal their identities to one another. As she waited for them on the roof, she took a few deep breaths to calm down her nerves. This was going to be a very personal and emotional reveal for everyone. Especially between her and Adrien.

She heard the soft footfalls of Chat Noir and the zing of Ladybeetle arriving. Standing up she turned to face both of them. Ladybeetle looked as if she hadn't slept well in the last few days and Chat Noir was walking on eggshells. Still, they were here. "Hi, I'm sorry to call you out so late."

"It's fine, really. I don't want to go to sleep right now. I keep having nightmares of nearly dying or being eaten," Ladybeetle admitted. She looked at her partner and mentor with a tired expression on her face. "I can't exactly talk to my parents and tell them I was in the middle of the fight. That I nearly died at least thirty times in one night." She played with her antenna trying to keep her hands busy.

Chat Noir looked at his partner then at Peridot Turtle. "I've been having flashbacks. One minute I'm doing something normal like reading a book the next I find myself back at the Eiffel Tower in the crater. I'm dying of my injuries and then suddenly all those other versions of me are there. You still haven't told me what that was about."

"I'll get to that in a minute. Do either of you have someone you can confine in besides your Kwamiis? I only ask because talking with someone does help." She also played with her fingers before admitting something. "My parents know about Wayzz, but they think he's a rare last of his kind turtle I inherited. They don't know he can talk or levitate."

"Why would they even know about your kwami? Wait inherited, you said Chaotic killed your mentor, but you also said before you only got your Miraculous a few days before we did. I'm confused." Indeed the human cat looked very confused and slightly upset.

"I'm sure Peridot Turtle will explain things in a minute. To answer your earlier question, um there is _someone_ who knows who I really am besides you. My best friend figured it out a few weeks after she'd been Akumatized. She hasn't said anything to anyone I promise!" Ladybeetle swore.

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his head and admitted his dad had figured it out. He had been very proud of him for saving the day, but they still hadn't been able to really talk to one another yet. "I just don't know what to say or do, we haven't been close for a while now." Both girls touched his shoulders telling him they would help him figure it.

"I think the time has come for both of you to reveal yourselves to one another." Peridot Turtle urged them to reveal themselves to each other. That this was next stage in their partnership. Trusting the other to keep their secret and help them when they were civilians. With a little bit of hesitation and final encouragement they decided to go ahead with the reveal.

"Spots Off."

"Claws In."

Their transformations dropped and both gasped at the other one. "You're Ladybeetle/Chat Noir? I never would have suspected you in a million years!" Both of them said in unison. They were in total disbelief. What do you say to someone you never would have suspected of being a hero/heroine partner?

"Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir? That is so wrong," Mireille sputtered. She thought about the tiny crush she had on the guy when she first saw him in a magazine and blushed. "Oh my, I am so glad that I lost interested in you. You're sense of humor is atrocious."

Adrien pouted at hearing that. "My sense of humor is fine, what about you Mireille? You're more of science nerd then an artist! I wondered why it took you a bit too finally figure out how to work you're Lucky Charms."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Mireille Caquet. I love weather, scrap booking, and I am proud to be your partner."

Adrien shook it firmly. "Hi, I'm Adrien Agreste, I love anime, puns, and enjoying working with you as my partner."

Peridot Turtle clapped her hands pleased by this step. She encouraged them to get to know each other as individuals and not just heroes. They promised and asked her why they were chosen for the Miraculouses.

"My mentor actually was the one who did the actual observations and wrote your names on the list of candidates for the Miraculouses. Adrien, you were the only one for the Black Cat, I tested you to see if you were responsible enough to handle the power of destruction. That's when I slipped you the Miraculous."

As Adrien tried to figure out when she had crossed his path, Peridot Turtle looked at Mireille and gave her a look of pride. "Mireille, I _chose_ you to take on the Ladybug Miraculous because I couldn't."

Mireille's eyes widen remembering what Tikki had said when they first met. "You were the perfect match for the earrings. I wasn't meant to have them at first was I?"

"My mentor had you as a possible candidate for the earrings. As Chaotic boasted, he was directly responsible for the death of my mentor. He was coming to test and give me the earrings, but that never happened. I was there with him as he lay dying. Since there must always be a Great Guardian, and I was the only candidate with him when he died, I ended with the bracelet."

"I'm sorry, he must have left a lot behind for you to learn from, which is why you call him your mentor?" Peridot Turtle nodded and mentioned that Wayzz helped a lot. She also admitted she still struggled from time to time to be a proper Turtle so she could use the Miraculous to its fullest.

"I chose you Mireille fort this role, because I knew what kind of person you are. Kind, caring, optimistic. You always put all your effort into what you want to accomplish. Tikki helped you become stronger and more confident. I tested you and even though we hadn't been very close you still reached out to help someone. That makes you a perfect Ladybeetle."

Both teens tensed as they realized something. Peridot Turtle knew them personally, really personally. There was no other way she could know so much about them before she gave them their Miraculouses unless she knew about both of them beforehand.

Peridot Turtle sighed and then looked at the two teens and their Kwamiis Tikki and Plagg gave her an encouraging smile. "When you see who I am, you'll be shocked. Adrien, you might feel betrayed, but at least let me explain things before you run off. Shell Open."

Adrien couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his girlfriend standing on the roof looking so small and frightened. Mireille looked surprised then smacked her head asking herself why she hadn't figured it out sooner. It was so obvious when you thought about it!

"Marinette? You're Peridot Turtle? I don't understand, why didn't you tell me? Do you only love me for Chat Noir? What the heck did you mean when your other versions said we were always together?!"

Plagg scratched Adrien's hair. "Calm down kitten. She obviously loves you for all of you if she managed to make you a _Two._ Things are just a bit complicated with her being a Turtle and Wayzz stubbornness."

"I'm not that stubborn Plagg. I just happen to prefer duty before fun."

Tikki shook her head and added her two sense in. "Wayzz, be honest. You knew they were soulmates, but you kept them apart because you didn't think Marinette could handle finding out about her soulmate, and do her duty as the Great Guardian, without being compromised." Upon hearing the word soulmate Adrien started to freak out a little more and Marinette couldn't calm him down.

Seeing this was getting a little out of control, Mireille interjected saying this was enough surprise for one night. Obviously Adrien and Marinette needed to work out this soulmate thing in a more private setting. She suggested that the two of them talk about it tomorrow after school which they both agreed was a smart thing. The three of them transformed again and went home with a lot of new truths inside them.

* * *

The mood at school the next was depressing, but also there was a bit of hope and happiness. Getting back into a regular routine helped a lot. Students took comfort in one another. This disaster had even pushed a few of them into admitting their crushes to one another, knowing you are not immortal and could die at any time really put things into perspective.

Sabrina was posing for Nathanial as he attempted to recreate her Champion look. Kim and Alix had set aside their competitions for now and just leaned against each other talking softly. Rose was composing an email to Prince Ali to ask if he could come visit Paris for real and help her with a project for helping little kids deal with the tragedy. Juleka was actually talking to Max, who looked very surprised that any girl liked him.

To the rest of the world, the story was that a terrorist group, had managed to unleash a deadly poison that caused hallucinations and death, throughout the whole city, before the police caught them and came up with an antidote. It was the only good explanation because the world thought the akuma attacks and heroes, were part of a staged show. A demon attack? No one would buy it in this modern age.

Marinette spotted her boyfriend and their best friends at the usual table. Taking a deep breath, she walked over and gave them her best smile. "Hi everyone. How are you doing? I mean that's a silly question to ask." She gave a sheepish smile and looked at her best friend and was shocked by something. "Alya where in the world is your phone?!"

Alya pouted and stomped her foot. "My parents took away my phone and have blocked me from updating my blog. They even got someone to help them make sure I can't use any other computer or device to update."

"Kinda harsh girl, but you'll get it back right?" Nino asked trying to look on the bright side.

"In a month! My parents think this will teach me to respect boundaries, people's privacy, and of course make sure I'm safe," Alya replied angrily. She was frustrated by the lack of her phone, but she couldn't blame her parents. She had been taking things too far, both in her journalism and her normal life. After nearly being killed by a demonic dragon who fathered Chloe, she realized that her parents were doing this because they loved her and didn't want to see her die.

"I want to apologize Marinette. I didn't respect your wishes and pushed you around. I'm going to try to do better." Nino also promised to help keep Alya in line, especially when they went on their first date.

"That's right, this DJ finally got his girl to stop checking out the Wi-Fi and start looking at me!" Adrien congratulated Nino and Marinette told a blushing Alya she always thought Nino and her were the perfect couple.

She glanced over to Adrien whose eyes were still filled with confusion and uncertainty. "Can you come over to my house after school?" she mouthed to him. He gave a subtle nodded and pointed to his phone indicating he would have to call Nathalie about the change in the schedule.

When they entered the classroom, everyone was eyeing the seat where Chloe use to sit, wondering if it was contaminated with evil mojo. Sabrina didn't even want to sit there. Sabrina had fought to free Chloe because of the flicker of a human soul, but the seat where her health was stolen, it was just too much.

She looked at Ms. Bustier. "Can I please sit somewhere else for now? Until the bench is replaced?" There was mandate about removing things that Chloe had spent a lot of time on or touched. There was even talk of letting religious leaders and psychics in to cleanse the entire school of any lingering darkness.

"Alright, you can sit with Nathanial, but I don't want to see any PDA going on, is that understood?" she told them sternly. Both blushed a bit and did promise not to do anything like that.

Ms. Bustier reminded the students the school had brought in a few councilors to help them if they wanted to talk about their feelings and fears. There were even going to be some group sessions if students didn't think they could handle one on one sessions. The school was committed to help the students get past any problems or memories about the evil girl.

"I've decide to make a change in our book selection. I believe that we need to look at a book that seems impossible and filled with dangers, but the heroes actually survived the odds. Everyone please take a copy of a different book by Jules Verne, "Journey to the Center of the Earth." I think you'll find it to just as amazing as his previous work, but with no death."

Even in science class that day, Ms. Medieval was much nicer today. She taught them a few fun experiments by mixing chemicals to change colors and have fun reactions. It really was the kind of thing they needed to help ease them back into school.

* * *

Finally, it was the end of the day. Marinette was waiting for Adrien nervously. She wasn't sure if he was going to show up. He said he would, but she was having a few doubts. He probably was as confused as she was. What if he still felt betrayed or had stopped loving her? Her heart started to break as those thoughts entered her mind.

"It will be alright. Plagg will make him show up, just to avoid the side effects of avoiding the love of your life," Wayzz assured her. She hiked up her purse and looked around again. She didn't see him anywhere and student activities weren't scheduled to start until next week.

He probably had some lesson or photo shoot to go to. She started to walk home when she heard his voice call out to her. Stopping, she turned to look at him, remembering to stand tall. "Hi Adrien, I actually didn't think you would show up."

"Marinette, I'm man of my word. I promised I would come and I did."

"I know, but after what's happened and what you said, I wasn't sure…"

Plagg flew out of Adrien's shirt and tapped the Great Guardian's nose. "Believe me GG, he loves you more than I love cheese and you know how much I love that."

"PLAGG!" Adrien scolded and blushed while Marinette just let out a giggle and gave the little kwami a pat on the head. Still blushing the two walked over to the bakery.

"Hello Adrien, it's so nice to see you again! We were worried about you," Sabine told him giving the boy a hug, causing him to blush even more. Sabine looked him over and asked if he'd been eating okay. "You're still a bit too skinny."

"MAMA! You're embarrassing Adrien," Marinette pleaded.

"Your mother and I just want to make sure our future son in law is doing healthy. It wouldn't be good if he fainted when he proposed to you would it?" Tom teased her.

Marinette muttered something along the lines about save her from death by embarrassment while Adrien patted her on the shoulder telling her it was alright. After grabbing some cookies and cheese danishes they headed up to her room. It was the first time Marinette had let him up there.

"It's very cute and cozy, just like you are," he told her making her blush even more. "If it was anymore pink I think you would be a Pink…" Marinette pressed her finger against his lips. "If you don't want me to throw you out, you will not finish that pun!"

Adrien nodded and took a seat on the chaise as Marinette cleaned up a few things and gave Wayzz his afternoon treatments. Plagg came out and chewed on his cheese danish as he teased Wayzz about his special treatments. "You must really love all that misting Wayzz. I've never seen you smile so much!"

"Oh, and I suppose that you've never had a wielder who didn't brush your fur or tried to trim your claws, much to your delight?"

"No fighting you two. My room is neutral territory understand?" Marinette told them sternly and both said they were sorry. As soon as Wayzz's treatments were finished, Marinette sat down and the kwami took a seat in her lap. "So what do you want to talk about first?"

"When did you learn I was your soulmate?" Adrien asked.

"The day you showed me the pictures of your parents. I had been having dreams since before I met Master Fu and Wayzz, meeting my other soul selves and they each taught me things. Mariposa, she told me and showed me all your other forms, saying that unless we were completely honest, we'd never be real soulmates," Marinette admitted looking anywhere, but at Adrien's face.

Wayzz patted her hand then coughed to get Adrien's attention. "She may not have learned the truth until then, but from the moment she met you, she's been in love with you. You occupy a large part of her time. I knew you were her soulmate, but I didn't tell her because of what Tikki said."

"I couldn't tell you either, you know, since she was another Miraculous wielder and the Great Guardian. That's why kitten I tried to help you with her civilian self. I also bullied Wayzz endlessly, considering the uniqueness of the situation."

Marinette asked what that meant. Mariposa had said the same thing and the other Kwamiis also seemed to have said or done something similar. Adrien asked if Turtles weren't meant to have families and romantic partners, but Marinette told him that Master Fu had a family so it couldn't be that.

Wayzz explained that traditionally, since Turtles worked best alone and that Great Guardians duties kept them busy that most didn't look for companionship. Those that did, knew that relationships would be difficult because of the longevity Wayzz's wielders gained. It took a special type of circumstances for them to find love.

"You were supposed to be Ladybug, but you became a Turtle instead. Yet, you still had your red string of fate tied to your Chat Noir. Never before had something like this happened. It's extremely rare for a Great Guardian to have a soulmate with in the circle," he emphasized to her. Hearing that made Marinette lift her eyebrows in awe.

"Yeah, but if you had to find one other in the circle that would work the best it would be the Black Cat," Plagg added. He spun around to look at Adrien and explained while it was a myth cats had nine lives, Black Cats were also more likely to survive many dangerous and death related incidents, because of their inner nature. That translated to Adrien most likely living a very long and full life. In fact, Marinette might one day be able to transfer some of that longevity to him.

"You mean, oh my, can we talk about that another time? I would like to live in the present." The model took a few deep breaths and asked something that had been on his mind. "Those other versions of me? Are they real and will I be able to talk and interact with them like Marinette?"

"Those other versions are part of your soul. Metaphysically speaking; your soul can reach out and be in other times and places, following different paths you take. A majority of the soul always resides in you, but the other parts bleed through from time to time."

"Yeah, your Butterfly form, Ombre? He's a part of you, a part that you don't usually embrace so you don't feel his influence often, but he's as real as you are right now."

"That's what they meant when they said who I was part of the time. Which parts of me are embraced most often, in any given time and place. I understand now why Ladybug says she's me the most often. That's who I act like a lot, but I changed to be a Turtle. That part of my soul hadn't been embraced until now."

"Exactly. You two will face a lot of challenges together, but if any unusual pair can make this work and do what you two did a second time, then the future is in good hands," Wayzz informed them.

"So my turtledove, do you want to learn more about your trusty cat or the fabulous model?" Marinette jumped on him as they both rolled around the room laughing. "I take that as a yes?"

"Remember to have patience with me, after all, I can't reveal all of my _secrets_ to you now can I?" she teased. It was a new start in their growing relationship.

* * *

Paris was slowly healing and each day was a bit easier than the last. People started going out again, business picked up. Construction on the monument had started. So far, no new akumas had appeared and the heroes were only spotted once in a while doing a patrol. People wondered if that meant Hawkmoth was gone or he just was biding his time before reemerging stronger than before.

Andre Bourgeois was still under house arrest, but he would be going to prison soon to wait for his trial to begin. According to French law, he could be held in prison for pre-trial detention from one to up to four years depending on the severity of his case and the ongoing investigation. It was a little aggravating to know also any pre-trial detention time would be knocked off his sentence also according to the law.

Chloe still hadn't awaken from her coma and many were wondering if she ever would. Considering the state of her family's financial future, it was very unclear how long she would remain in the hospital or if she would be shipped to the prison hospital ward, if she wasn't able to attend any trial proceedings against her. If she remained in her coma, she still could be tried in absence.

The situation with Chloe weighed heavily on the minds of Adrien and Marinette, even a little on Mireille. While Duusu's prophecy had come to pass, two lines, _through love and sorrow, shall the child be saved,_ and, _a future for all, as a new life begins while the journey continues for everyone else,_ didn't feel like they had been totally fulfilled.

Chloe had been saved by the sorrow breaker crystal, but no one had used love to do so. The only one who loved her was her human father, but he wasn't allowed near Chloe right now. Also, while everyone in Paris was continuing their journey through life, no new ones had been brought in yet.

Marinette was at the massage/spa again, as she continued her work to get it up and running again. She done as much work on this place as she could making it brighter and brand new looking. With Nathalie's help she had secured her products line to help with the sessions or to sell to customers.

Alya was using this month to help build Marinette a website, (under her parents supervision), to advertise her business while Nino started to spread the word that the place would be up and running in two months. Adrien had been very supportive and was even going to help her conduct interviews for employees.

Marinette was sitting in the apartment, filling out different forms she would mail out after her parents looked them over. She was filing papers to register her business and the name of it, forms to later file the proper taxes, and to get her official business license. All this paperwork would take weeks to properly process and by the time she got her license, she'd be ready to open the massage/spa back up.

"Who knew I'd be dealing with this much paperwork _before_ I reopened this place? I thought that came afterwards," she commented off hand. Wayzz gave her his best wisdom yet. Expect the unexpected in all matters of life. "How did Master Fu even manage all this? Its mine numbing."

Before Wayzz could answer they heard a thump coming from the master bedroom. Puzzled, Marinette put down the paperwork, picked up a tray from the kitchen and slowly made her way to the bedroom.

There was another loud thump and her heart started beating a bit faster. Grasping the door handle, she turned and flung the door open, ready to slam the tray on anyone who was in there, but the room was empty and the only thing out of place was the two rocks on the floor.

She bent to pick them up, when she saw that one was still on the dresser. Looking closely she saw that one of the rocks had different characters on it. This one was new. Puzzled, she reached out for them. Her Miraculous pulsed and the rocks pulsed back.

The pulsing grew faster and faster, until they all gave one last pulse and Marinette fell on her back due to the bright light. She heard a popping sound followed by a whoosh. The feeling of the room changed, it felt as if she had been dragged into the astral plane, but was still in the living one. Blinking her eyes, her jaw dropped as Wayzz fell to the ground in disbelief of who else was now in the room.

* * *

Master Fu and his beautiful little girl Xinyi stood there looking at one another with affection. Since they were see through and had a glow, she knew that she was dealing with their spirits. Taking a calming breath Marinette relaxed her body before talking. "This is an unexpected surprise. I didn't think I see you again, unless it was in a trance Master Fu."

 _"I told you I would be watching over you. For what it is worth, I'm proud of what you accomplished. Only someone with your unique soul could have pulled off that ritual. No other Miraculous wielders will ever have to worry about Chaotic returning."_

"So many died, I wasn't able to stop it. I've been doing my best to atone, but…"

 _"It never feels as if you've done enough to balance all those lives lost does it? I punished myself in life and even in my after life, the emotional pain carries heavy. You must learn to make peace with this in your lifetime young Marinette. Let love in and let go of the doubt and blame."_

The bluenette saw where he was coming from as Master Fu and his little girl hugged each other. They were together right now. She sensed though this was only a temporary reunion. Bending down she looked Xinyi in the eye. "It's nice to see Xinyi, thank you for being encouraging."

The little spirit girl smiled then let out a little laugh. _"Everyone needs a little encouragement once and awhile. I was just glad you listened to me. Most people in my life didn't. The only real friend I ever had was Wayzz."_

"Yeah, he's a nice friend aren't you Wayzz?" she asked as she gently shoved him towards the spirit girl. Xinyi was delighted to see her old friend and the two chatted quietly. While the little girl was occupied, her father and the young heroine went to a corner to talk.

"Are you here about the last part of the prophecy? Adrien thinks I'm overthinking it and Mireille wonders if I'm under thinking it. It's confusing."

 _"Prophecies can be confusing. Words don't always mean what we think they do. Actions sometimes cause lines to happen. I can tell you half of those two lines have come to pass."_ Master Fu told her. He looked over her shoulder at Xinyi who was totally focused on Wayzz. He smiled at her, then looked back at the other girl.

 _"Sorrow did free the child, but only love can awaken her. A love that will mean the start of a new life, a new birth, but not in the way most people would think."_

"What are you saying? Are you here to help finish the prophecy?" Master Fu nodded so she asked what it was. He gestured to Xinyi spirit as the little girl ran through the bed before coming to a stop. She heard something ringing.

Marinette took out her phone and muted it. Adrien was trying to get in touch to tell her something he had discovered about Chloe's condition, but Marinette didn't want to talk about it right now when she was with two spirits. She was about to pocket the device when she saw Xinyi looking at in wonder.

 _"Your phone is amazing. Over the years I've watched over my father, I was always fascinated by all the new things that came along. I wonder if I'll have one someday."_

"Why would you have a phone?"

Xinyi eyes locked onto Marinette's. Something seemed to pass between the two of them. It was as if they were both really seeing into each other souls and finding some weird connection. Xinyi wasn't a _One_ , instead her soul was marked for reincarnation, which was unusual because Chinese didn't believe in reincarnation.

 _"My destiny was cut short before I even had time to start. I was going to be a Turtle, a Miraculous wielder, just like my father said I would be. I gave my life in attempt to destroy the Disastrous and it was my blood that kept Chaotic sealed."_

She paused and looked at the cell phone screen. Adrien had sent her a picture of Chloe in the ICU before the phone was most likely confiscated. Xinyi reached out a hand then pulled it back. Spirits drew on energy to stay on the living plane and she didn't want to break the cell phone.

 _"She is a newly born human, her soul though is nothing except a small flickering ember. Unless another soul binds with it, the ember will go out and the girl will die and her body with it. I can bind my soul to hers and live again with your help."_

"Um is that really such a good idea? They're going to be transferring her body to jail soon. Even if you are reborn in her body, no one's going to care if it's new soul! They want Chloe to pay, you might just signing your new life away. Besides, this sounds like necromancy to me and I really don't want to do that!" Marinette said in rush.

Master Fu laughed and assured her there would be no necromancy. Reincarnation didn't work like that. _"Chloe Bourgeois has already undergone judgment, but humans need a different kind of justice if Paris is to relax. There is a section in the Miraculous Book that should help with what needs to be done."_ He turned to his daughter once more and gave her an ethereal hug and kiss. _"I love you so much my dear Xinyi. Live a good life and I will see you again someday."_

 _"I know father, I won't forget you or mother. I'll remember you both even after I'm reincarnated."_ The two said their final goodbyes as Master Fu, bowed to Marinette and Wayzz, before returning to the spirit world. Xinyi smiled and went back into her rock waiting for her new life to begin. Marinette picked it up still a bit uneasy.

* * *

Returning home, Marinette took out the Miraculous Book. Ever since she told her secrets to the Book it had organized itself better. There was a chapter guide and index now; making it much easier to find what she was looking for. It was also nice when the Book reacted to her thoughts or words.

Laying the Book on the desk, she checked the chapter guide and flipped through the pages until it was at Chapter 29 titled, "Afterlife and Rebirth." Scanning down the page she found what she was looking for and began to read.

"Reincarnation is the philosophical or religious belief of a living being's soul starts a new life in a different physical body or form after each biological death. It is also called rebirth or transmigration. It is a central tenet of all major Indian religions, namely Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism.

The idea of reincarnation began a long time ago in a variety of cultures such as ancient Greece. It is also a common belief in other ancient and even modern religions such as Spiritism, Theosophy, and Eckankar. Today the belief in reincarnation is found in different societies around the world.

Scientific research has found no evidence of reincarnation and argues that it is just an unconscious desire for people to find a more meaningful purpose in life. Other scientist believe that false memories are implanted into children in order to make them behave in a manner of a respected historical figures. Test subjects also seemed to be attempting to gain money for participating in studies.

While science cannot prove reincarnation and religious belief is questioned by many, reincarnation does happen and has been witnessed by those in society that are born with psychic abilities and can interact with souls of those who passed on. Several different Foxes, have used this skill successfully, to help souls move on or find the ones whose lives were cut too short, before they fulfilled their purpose the universe gave them."

Marinette looked up from the page and turned her head to disguised Miraculous Chest. Would she need to find a wielder for Trixx in order to help Xinyi? Turning back to the page, she watched as the Book flipped two pages over and highlighted a section marked, "Special Circumstances." She slid her finger over the words as she read them.

"In cases with souls marked for reincarnation that have yet to be after a period of twenty years, it means the universe itself has selected that soul to reincarnate in specific time, place, and body in order to continue what they were doing before they died. While adults and older children can usually find where they need to go on their own, young children and babies. will need a guide as well as someone with spiritual/psychic abilities to help place them where they are meant to go.

In these circumstances, A Fox or a Turtle, by themselves or working together, can help. Taking an object the spirit is attached to, the Fox or Turtle should follow their instincts until they find the right person, who is usually in a coma, near death, or just recently departed for the spirit's rebirth.

Perform a blessing ceremony over the body and reach out into the spirit world. Be firm and polite, explaining to the spirits and the different afterlives why the spirit you brought is being reborn. Defend against any dark spirits and souls who attempt to slip in. Use your Miraculouses power to form a protective barrier.

Once the barrier is up, it is time for you to talk to the spirit you brought. Explain to them why they're being reborn. Tell them their purpose and share some of your knowledge of modern times to help them in their new life. Then comes the hardest part. Binding the spirit into its new body.

For a Fox, this part is easy. Playing a song on their flute they guide the spirit into the body. As the song is played the spirit's soul starts to fill throughout the body. With a final flourish the soul is bonded to the body and a new life begins.

For a Turtle, it is a bit trickier. Turtles must bring together the flow of life essences into both the body and the spirit. With great patience and a slow flow of energy, the spirit can be grafted to any lingering bits of soul left in the body. Together this new soul will take hold and be ready to awaken.

The rebirth will cause a transformation. Half the time the rebirth will leave a mark where the former spirit took hold and the other half will cause physical transformation to both the inside and outside the body. Twenty five percent will remember some part of their past. Even if they don't, they will have the knowledge and some memories of their new body. After they have awaken, it will be time for the Miraculous user to leave, so the reborn can live their new life."

Marinette closed the Miraculous Book and put it away. At this moment she wished she could call on Huli Jing for help knowing she couldn't right now. Maybe wake Trixx up to help her with this? No, Master Fu had told her that this was her duty.

Picking up her phone she called her boyfriend, "Hey Kitty, I was wondering if you could help me with something tonight?" She listen to him for a few minutes then spoke. "If your dad needs a reason I can explain it to him. It might be a good time to tell him the truth about me."

Again more talking before she pulled the phone away from her ear. "Calm down Adrien! Okay, we don't tell him yet. I'll work on talking to my parents first. What can you tell him that will be acceptable?" A few minutes of talking and she said, "Okay, that can work. As for what we're doing, we're completing the prophecy. Paris is about to be introduced to a new "Chloe Bourgeois."

* * *

It was just past ten thirty when Chat Noir arrived on her balcony where she was waiting for him, the Miraculous Book and Xinyi's rock, were stored in a small travel pack. "Hi tortoiseshell, what's up?" He gave her a grin. She laughed and told him to calm down. He relaxed a bit, but he was still curious to what she meant about earlier by a new Chloe.

"So how long can you be out on your "cat run" before you have to go home?"

"My father says I can be out for an hour, but I better be home exactly by eleven thirty, or I'm not allowed out of the house for a month, no exceptions except school and model work," Chat Noir informed his soulmate.

They were still working on that, having drawn closer in their civilian forms, but still trying to find a balance as heroes. It was difficult because Peridot Turtle was the Great Guardian and mentor to him and Ladybeetle.

"We better get going. If what you texted me earlier is true, then tonight is our only chance to complete what we need to do. Let's go." Grinning, Chat Noir and Peridot Turtle ran across the rooftops heading to the hospital. Along the way they chatted with each other.

Earlier that day, Gabriel Agreste had gotten a phone call from Mr. Bourgeois' lawyer. Apparently, Mr. Bourgeois had written in his will, that if he died or was incapacitated, that he wanted Mr. Agreste to be made temporary guardian of Chloe and be responsible for her care and health. That's what prompted the visit to the hospital.

"Since the former mayor has been charged and moving into pre-trial dentition, he needs someone to take care of Chloe, especially now that his rights were terminated," Chat Noir explained. The court had managed file charges of neglect, due to egregious conduct or heinous or abhorrent behavior by the parent, either to the child, or others in a way, that affects the child against him.

There were also a few other charges, such as inducing the child to commit a crime or crimes. By teaching Chloe that she could get away with anything she wanted, and that he would bribe people or use his power, to prevent her from receiving punishment, this charge was able to stick.

He was fighting the last charge, long-term mental illness of the parent making him unsuitable for raising a child. While under house arrest Mr. Bourgeois had undergone a full psychological work up. He was diagnosed to be suffering from extreme narcissism/extreme borderline personality. He also suffered from delusions of what was reality and what was his grandiose beliefs.

"Mr. Bourgeois thinks my father can help prevent Chloe from being charged with anything and that she'll be able to resume her normal life once she wakes up. He even goes as far as requesting my father to adopt her if it will help her situation."

"I bet your father "loved" that." Peridot Turtle stated sarcastically as they landed across the street from the hospital. Using their weapons Wi-Fi features, they could see inside the ICU at the hospital. Chloe wasn't in there. A second scan revealed she was in a private room in the patient recovery ward. Judging by the police guarding the hallway and the door, they were taking no chances.

Peridot Turtle raised a single eyebrow to Chat Noir who shrugged and did a little pantomime with his hands. It was clear that his father had decided that Chloe could recover in a normal room before her being transferred to the prison medical ward.

"Well, I know my way around this hospital, and I know a way into that room without being spotted or interrupted. Come on, she should be taking her evening break right now in the garden."

Puzzled, Chat Noir followed Peridot Turtle until they reached the small garden in the back of the hospital. There was a section fenced off for the staff to take breaks. Landing softly on the ground, he saw Peridot Turtle talking with an older nurse, explaining her reason for being there.

"I had a feeling you would be showing up again. After what you did during that sickness I suspected you might come to help Ms. Bourgeois. It was very courageous what you and your friends did that day."

Peridot Turtle gave her a tight nod and Florence understood. In her profession she also had deal with her fair hand in death and wonder if she had done enough. The nurse noticed the bag and the teen's demeanor. "Is whatever is in there have to do with your visit tonight?"

She nodded and gestured to Chat Noir, saying he would be helping her, but she needed absolutely no interruptions or evidence she was there to complete her duty. She asked if Florence could help, even though she wasn't the head nurse on the floor.

"Give me fifteen minutes, and everything you need will be there in the room. I have a colleague, who might be able to help you." Peridot Turtle nodded and told Chat Noir to follow her.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the two Miraculous users slipped into the private room. Nurse Florence was there with a doctor, who introduced himself as Dr. Ravi Amhed, a Hindu practitioner and specialist in coma cases. He shook their hands. "It will very humbling to watch a reincarnation actually take place before my very eyes. You must get started soon, the flicker of life inside this body is going out according to the medical instruments."

"We will. Are you sure we won't be interrupted?"

"Florence and I have made certain the guards won't come in. We also have a friend in the security department, who is making sure that there will be no record of tonight's events."

Together they set up the room with symbols and images of reincarnation along with a protective barrier to help keep the dark spirits out. Chat Noir stood near the outer edge. He was the protection detail, while Peridot Turtle performed her duties.

Dr. Ahmed would be helping her with the prayers, but at the same time monitoring Chloe's vitals. Florence was ready to assist the doctor with anything.

Placing the rock on the nightstand, Peridot Turtle brought out the Book and showed Dr. Ahmed the blessing prayer. He nodded and together they started speaking. Her in French and him in Hindu. The blessing would combine a prayer for the dead and one for new life.

"The phenomenon of death is merely the separation of the astral body from the physical body. The five elements of which the body is composed return to their source. Our scriptures teach us that as pilgrims unite and separate at a public inn, so also fathers, mothers, sons, brothers, wives, relations unite and separate in this world.

He who thus understands the nature of the body and all human relationships based upon it will derive strength to bear the loss of our dear ones. In Divine plan, one day each union must end with separation."

The temperature in the room changed. It grew a bit warmer inside the barrier, while outside it Chat Noir shivered as a slight chill went through his spine. There was some rustling noises. He felt uneasy, but remembered why he was there. He wouldn't let his love down.

The second part was being said now. "Bless this new life with love. With health, sustenance and happiness. With learning, understanding and growth. With sensitivity, kindness and compassion. Bless this new life, as it joins the human journey. Discovering the world anew and creating the world anew for them. The future resides in this child and in all children"

Chloe's body shimmered for a split second, her vitals staying in place. Chat Noir could feel the evil spirits getting close as he used his special ability and baton to keep the evil away. In the background, he could hear his girlfriend talking to the spirit world and explaining why this soul was granted a chance to live again. She firmly told any dark spirits to go away for this was not a place for them.

Slowly the feeling of evil and dark spirits vanished. It was replaced by peace and love. A quick glance over his shoulder and he saw Peridot Turtle talking to someone he could not see that must be hovering over the rock.

Chloe's vitals started to drop a little as the two medical personal kept an eye on her, making sure that she was alive. The new formed human was still unresponsive to everything going on.

Peridot Turtle was starting to feel the strain of this ritual as she moved her hands over Chloe's body. Pulling small amounts of life essences into Chloe's body as she guided Xinyi towards the slowly dying ember of a human soul. As she watched in amazement Xinyi's soul absorbed the ember and suddenly her soul was burning bright.

Chloe's vitals started going crazy, up and down. First they were normal for a teen, then a small child, before racing back up into the adult then settling in the teen section for a few minutes. It was all the doctor and nurse could do to keep her stable.

Five minutes later the rebirth was complete as all four of them watched in stunned disbelief and amazement, as a transformation happened. Out of Chloe's body, a golden light floated into the air and shaped itself into a small child about six years old. Transferring from the teen body was the steady flow of life energy. The light settled on the bed next to Chloe's.

Chloe's body jerked around on the bed before falling back down stiff. Her vitals were slowly descending, until they were near death. When that happened the four heard a tiny gasp. Turning to the other bed, the child's body came to life and before their eyes the saw flesh appear. The child was a female about six years old, her skin tone matched Chloe's but her hair was black. The facial structure was similar to Xinyi's, but the eye shape was Chloe's.

As flesh continued to appear it was clear that this person was a mix between Chloe's inner child, the last part of her soul and Xinyi own spirit. At last the transformation was done. As the little girl took her first few breaths, Chloe's body died peacefully despite the best efforts of everyone.

"Time of death eleven ten pm. Cause of death, results of being in a long term coma," Dr. Ahmed pronounced. The loss of any life, even one who was so selfish and cruel in life, was not something he welcomed. He didn't know what would happen next once he informed the police and the rest of hospital about the turn of events, but at the moment he was more concerned about the new life he had just witnessed being reincarnated.

Florence was taking the child's vitals, asking her questions. She taking some blood to study if the girl was vaccinated as she should be. The most important thing though was finding out if she recalled her old life or if she truly was brand new person.

"Do you know who you are? What's the last thing you remember?"

"My name is Celeste-Xun and I have no last name. I remember saying goodbye to my father before I was reborn as this person. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," the little girl said in a mix of French and Chinese.

Peridot Turtle stepped forward and told Celeste-Xun, to stay with Florence and the doctor, while they made sure that she was healthy and they would help her find a family, one that Peridot Turtle and her partner Chat Noir, would approve of. "You might not want to tell anyone about you being reborn just yet okay?"

"Alright, I'll see you again right?"

"Count on it. Come Chat Noir, are job is done here." After giving Celeste-Xun a big hug, they both left, wondering what her new future would be.

* * *

The next day, Marinette was still not comfortable with her parents knowing what had happened, since she accepted the bracelet from her inheritance. It was one thing to reveal her identity to her fellow Miraculous users, but something else entirely to put her trust in her parents.

"I don't know what to do Wayzz. I'm happy with them just knowing about you and not having to complicate their lives any further. They're already being super supportive of my career choice and the business, but I don't think they can handle this. No, I don't think I can handle them knowing just yet," she said with a sigh as she flopped on her chaise.

"You don't have to tell them right now, your slow ageing process won't begin to show until you out of the house or when you complete your dreams for the building. As you recall, Master Fu only told Shufen the truth about the Miraculous after he got it. He could have told her beforehand when Master Zhu asked for his help, but he didn't," Wayzz reminded her as he crawled closer to her.

Marinette turned over in the chaise a few times going over the pros and cons about telling her parents. Mireille was lucky her best friend was willing to keep this a secret and Adrien father had been a Miraculous wielder some time ago. Still the downside of that was the danger it put their loved ones in.

There was also the fact that her boyfriend's father and him hadn't exactly worked out the issues of Adrien being Chat Noir yet. If last night's mission was any indication, it was that Gabriel Agreste was still trying to control his son's life by keeping him from most dangers.

She was the Great Guardian that meant she had to be extra cautious. In her heart she knew her parents wouldn't mess with anything related to that job, but what happened if they accidentally stumbled across the journals, the Chest, even them finding her healing potions, was a gamble. Mama or Papa might try to use them and something could go wrong.

Sitting up slowly, so not to jar Wayzz, she looked at her kwami before petting his shell. "I don't feel comfortable telling my parents just yet about this. I also have to agree with Adrien, his father is barely holding it together knowing his son is Chat Noir, I don't think he can handle learning that his girlfriend is also a Miraculous hero."

Wayzz nodded in agreement and assured her that she didn't have to tell anyone until she was ready to. "Right now, the only thing you should be concerned about heroine wise, is how often you would like to show up to help. In fights, you can follow the trail to find Hawkmoth or you can assist your friends."

"I know, but there is still a lot to learn about being the Great Guardian, and I need a lot more training before the three of us attempt to get Nooroo back. Seeing Hawkmoth in person and watching him fight, he's not an easy opponent to win against."

"One step at a time. Don't you need to run to the fabric store for your order?" Marinette yelped grabbed her purse, stuffing Wayzz into the pet pocket, grabbed her list of fabrics, and rushed down the stairs into the bakery.

"Got to go pick up an order of special fabrics! Be back later, I love you Mama and Papa!" In a flash, she was gone and ringing sound of the bell echoed.

Her parents looked at one another with smiles on their faces. "Do you think we should tell her that we figured it out the day after the attack?" Sabine asked her husband. It wasn't that hard after Marinette's comments about the new hero and recognizing the bracelet even if it looked slightly different.

"She tell us when she's ready in her own time. For now, we should let her be. She's managed to juggle everything so well. We'll step in when she needs help," Tom told her. They smiled at one another again and went back to work on their new recipes for the bakery.

* * *

Two months later it was finally opening day of the, "Turtle Relaxing Lagoon Massage/Spa". All of Marinette's hard work and help from family and friends, had made her dream come true. The building facade had been painted, flower boxes hung on the windows and a new sign had been put up.

All the paperwork had been properly filed, insurance was up to date and Ms. Benson agreed to be legal business council again. The new website had definitely brought in a crowd and many of them looked like they were ready for the services and products to buy.

Marinette stood proudly in front of the crowd, ready to speak about the reopening and cut the red ribbon. All her classmates looked at her with pride in their eyes. Other local business owners had come to support her. What made her most happy though was to see little Celeste-Xun with her new family, the Caquet, as Mireille's new little sister.

In the wake of Chloe's death and the former mayor being put in prison, Florence and Dr. Ahmed had been able to write up a complete medical background and obtain all the necessary paperwork to make the newly reborn girl a legal citizen of France as well as an orphan.

Many people had been looking to adopt a child after hearing how she had been brought to hospital by the Miraculous heroes who had rescued her. While there had been many candidates, most of them weren't psychologically ready, especially the ones who had lost children in the attack, to handle a six year old with slight memory problems.

When Celeste-Xun had been released into foster care she had been placed with the Caquet family, who were legal foster parents. She had fit in so well, they adopted her quickly. Mireille was honored to help her new sister find her place in the world. Mireille finally felt like she had found her purpose if circumstances had been different and she never gained the earrings.

Back with Marinette it was time. "Thank you everyone for gathering here today. At the beginning of the school year, I had no idea that one kind act would lead to today's event. A good man named Mr. Fu, was hit by a car as he crossed the street. I had tried to help him, but wasn't fast enough. To make up for it, I kept him company until he passed.

For my kindness, Mr. Fu entrusted to me all he owned and cherished, including his beloved business. I have worked very hard to make sure the place he loved has not been forgotten and his legacy of healing people can continue. So today, I reopen this massage/spa under its new name, "Turtle Relaxing Lagoon," to carry his legacy and help me one day open my own design studio and store. So without further ado," Marinette cut the ribbon and announced the massage/spa was open for business again.

People cheered and clients walked inside met by a friendly staff ready to help them. Alya got the exclusive interview the new business owner and behaved properly. So many different people congratulated her on her success at such a young age. Mr. Agreste gave her high praise which made her happy.

Adrien came over and kissed her on the cheek. "Looks like you'll have successful business for years to come. I can't wait until you reach the final phase of you plan. You'll be more famous than my father one day."

"Perhaps I will. Who knows what the future holds? All I know is no matter what the obstacles, whether it's Hawkmoth's reemergence or another magical threat, I like to think I can handle it as long as you're by my side."

The couple hugged and kissed happy to be together. Inside their bags their Kwamiis were feeling a lot of pride in how far their little kitten/hatchling had come. Even Mireille and Tikki, were looking forward to the future with many more miraculous adventures to come.


End file.
